News Releases for July 2004
July 15, 2004
Contact: Lance Gaebe (701) 328-2200
Hoeven Continues To Push USDA To Assist North Dakota Producers Affected By Drought
BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven today requested assistance from Farm Service Agency Executive Director Gary Nelson and Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist J.R. Flores, in making Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) hay available to drought impacted cattlemen.
“Producers in emergency designated counties need authorization to hay and graze in non-emergency designated counties,” Hoeven said. “Because of dry conditions in affected counties, there is little harvestable hay available and opening up the CRP lands would get more livestock feed to those producers who need it.”
Today’s request follows a letter Hoeven sent last week to Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, pressing for an early opening of CRP lands for haying and grazing and the availability of Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) resources for transporting hay to distressed producers.
In addition to opening CRP lands, Hoeven appealed to Veneman to apply CCC resources to provide emergency feed for livestock producers in drought-stricken counties. Funding for programs like the Livestock Assistance Program would provide needed assistance for purchasing and transporting hay.
“While recent rains have helped pastures in some previously dry areas, the moisture was too late to enhance hay production,” said Hoeven. “The earlier opening of CRP for haying is needed to ensure that producers will be able to salvage some of the feed value of that hay.”
Hoeven is also calling on Veneman to support passage of a disaster bill that would provide additional support payments under the farm bill to producers in distressed counties throughout the state before the end of the year.
Last month, Hoeven issued a statewide agricultural emergency declaration in response to drought conditions in the southwest and excessive precipitation in the northeast and north central parts of the state.
E-mail comments to the Governor
