News Releases for April 2006
April 26, 2006
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Hoeven Testifies In Support Of Improved Crop Insurance, Lobbies For Disaster Aid
BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. John Hoeven this morning testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, urging lawmakers to make improvements to crop insurance and coordinate those improvements with the reauthorization of the farm bill.
"Until we are able to get the right kind of crop insurance tools included in the risk management tool box available to farmers, we are forced once again to ask for disaster assistance," Hoeven told the committee. "It is important that a relief package be approved in a timely manner and is tailored to meet disaster-related losses.
Hoeven was in Washington, D.C. Tuesday and Wednesday to lead a delegation of North Dakota farm organizations to press congressional leaders and administration officials to support disaster aid funding. They met with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, as well as leadership in the U.S. House and Senate on agriculture, including Chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Saxby Chambliss, and Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee Bob Goodlatte.
The funding, part of a comprehensive supplemental appropriation package now working its way through the Senate, includes disaster assistance for North Dakota farmers and ranchers who suffered losses last year due to flooding and drought. The group had scheduled upward of 50 meetings with lawmakers and officials before leaving.
Joining Hoeven in the delegation were:
- Roger Johnson - N.D. Agriculture Commissioner
- Mike Martin - N.D. Grain Growers Association
- Doyle Lentz - N.D. Grain Growers Association
- Dan Wogsland - N.D. Grain Growers Association
- Roland Tonneson - Farm Credit Services of North Dakota
- Tracy Boe - North Dakota State Representative
- Kevin Wazlaski - North Dakota Canola Growers
- Gavin Wazlaski - North Dakota Canola Growers
- Ed Loraas - US Durum Growers Association
- Lance Kjelshus - Producer
- Brian Bergstrom - North Dakota Dry Pea and Lentil
- Brian Kramer - North Dakota Farm Bureau
- Doug Goehring - North Dakota Farm Bureau
- Dan Vollmer - Producer
- Brad Thompson - Bank of North Dakota
- Nick Sinner - Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers
- Bob Larson - Independent Community Banks of North Dakota
- Steve Edwardson - North Dakota Barley Council
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