News Releases for July 2004
July 22, 2004
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Hoeven, N.D. Producers Meet With White House, USDA Officials To Press For Agriculture Aid
BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven and a delegation of agriculture producers from across the state met today in Washington D.C. with White House and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials to press for additional aid to North Dakota farmers and ranchers suffering weather-related losses.
Attending the meeting were Chuck Conner, the President’s chief agriculture advisor; Dale Moore, USDA Chief of Staff; and Floyd Gaibler, USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services (FFAS). The FFAS administers the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and Risk Management Agency.
"Year after year of extreme weather has taken a toll on North Dakota producers and their families,” Hoeven said. “We need to acknowledge their hardship and seek every means available to help them get back on their feet as soon as possible."
Hoeven outlined three steps the federal government needs to take to assist producers:
- The USDA needs to allow producers in southwestern North Dakota to hay Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres outside the 11 counties that currently qualify, and reduce the payment reduction for doing so from 25 percent to 10 percent. Earlier this week, after contacts from Hoeven, the USDA approved opening CRP acres for haying as well as grazing in the 11 North Dakota counties, but today he pressed to expand access. The NDSU Extension feed list could be used to match ranchers with CRP landowners in outlying counties.
- The USDA needs to assist any producer that suffered 35 percent or greater losses through existing agency programs, like Commodity Credit Corporation, the Livestock Compensation Program and other programs that assist farmers and ranchers.
- The USDA and the White House need to support legislation now in Congress that would provide assistance to producers who have incurred 35 percent or greater losses due to severe weather conditions.
The Governor’s meeting today follows a letter he sent Tuesday to USDA Secretary Ann Veneman requesting a secretarial disaster designation for 35 North Dakota counties suffering from repeated years of severe weather. These include low soil moisture levels, combined with late season frost, high winds, lack of rainfall in some parts of the state and an overabundance of rainfall in other areas.
Disaster assistance would make emergency loan and debt restructuring programs available to farmers, ranchers and business people through the USDA or Small Business Administration. USDA officials indicated today that the Governor’s request would likely receive favorable action.
In May, Hoeven secured a Presidential Disaster Declaration to help repair infrastructure in 10 northeastern counties and the Spirit Lake Nation as a result of excessive rainfall and flooding. This week’s effort seeks statewide assistance for both flooding and drought.
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