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“APPLE AND ONION DISASTER LEGISLATION, H.R. 2237” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1289-E1290 on June 16, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
APPLE AND ONION DISASTER LEGISLATION, H.R. 2237
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HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN
of new york
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, June 16, 1999
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, the plight of the apple and onion farmers of New York State remains a major concern for many of us in Congress who represent New York State. Following the severe, inclement weather that devastated crops in various Counties throughout our state last year, our farmers found themselves hampered by an ineffective federal crop insurance policy and a bureaucracy that showed very little compassion.
Hardest hit by last year's storm were New York State's apple and onion farmers. Our onion producers in Pine Island, NY in particular, faced catastrophic losses due to a hail storm that passed through the region on May 31st of last year. That storm left many of our farmers with no considerable yields, forcing many to zero out their crops, leaving them without a marketable product.
Faced with last year's losses and still recovering from losses incurred in 1996, our farmers looked to their crop insurance for assistance. What they found instead was an inadequate program that did nothing to assuage the burden that their losses placed upon them.
Regrettably, the Department of Agriculture's response to our farmers plight has been a case of too little, too late. Following last year's hail storm, Congress passed the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 1998, which approved $5.9 billion dollars in disaster assistance for affected farmers nationwide. While payments were made directly and immediately to hog, wheat, cotton and dairy farmers, action to ease our apple and onion farmers plight was much too slow in coming. A sign-up period was enacted by the Secretary for affected apple and onion farmers which was initially to last from February 1, 1999 to May 11, 1999.
The sign-up period proved to be a disaster within itself. Met with poor training, inadequate staffing and numerous delays, our farmers did not see one penny of the disaster assistance until just last week, one year later and months into this year's planting season.
This legislation, H.R. 2237 co-sponsored by Congressman Walsh, provides that the Secretary of Agriculture authorize $40 billion for additional disaster assistance to affected apple and onion farmers in New York State, so that they may fully recover from the damage and losses that they have incurred over the past three years. We look forward to working with the Secretary of Agriculture in the coming months to work towards the implementation of these funds, as well as a thorough revision of the federal crop insurance program, so that we may ensure that the future of our nation's farmers remain prosperous.
H.R. 2237
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. EMERGENCY CROP LOSS ASSISTANCE FOR NEW YORK APPLE
PRODUCERS.
(a) Assistance Authorized.--In addition to other authorities available to the Secretary of Agriculture to provide assistance to apple producers who incur crop losses, the Secretary may provide assistance under this section to apple producers in the State of New York who incurred losses in 1998 to apple crops due to damaging weather or related conditions.
(b) Special Rules.--In providing assistance to apple producers under this section, the Secretary shall calculate the amount of a apple producer's payment in a manner that--
(1) does not discount excess juice production;
(2) allows producers in 1998 to use their historical production as a yield basis;
(3) ensures that losses in each marketing category
(primary, secondary, and tertiary) are only added together, and not subtracted as currently proposed by the Department of Agriculture; and
(4) uses the 5-year average market price for apples in New York as established by the National Agriculture Statistics Service.
(c) Maximum Payment Limitation.--In providing assistance to apple producers under this section, the maximum payment limitation per farm shall be equal to the higher of--
(1) $80,000; or
(2) the product of $1,350 and the total farm orchard acreage.
(d) Implementation.--The Secretary shall issue guidelines for the provision of assistance under this section, which shall be available to affected apple producers not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. Subject to the availability of funds for this purpose, the Secretary shall make payments available under this section in an expeditious time frame in order to alleviate the severe financial strain of New York State apple producers.
SEC. 2. EMERGENCY CROP LOSS ASSISTANCE FOR NEW YORK ONION
PRODUCERS.
(a) Assistance Authorized.--In addition to other authorities available to the Secretary of Agriculture to provide assistance to onion producers who incur crop losses, the Secretary may provide assistance under this section to onion producers in the State of New York who incurred losses in 1998 to onion crops due to damaging weather or related conditions.
(b) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible for assistance under this section, the Secretary must conclude that, because of damaging weather or related condition in 1998, the total quantity of the 1998 onion crop that a New York onion producer was able to harvest was less than 65 percent of the producer's historical yield. The Secretary may accept information provided by insurance adjustors or the Cooperative Extension Service to verify a producer's loss in yield.
(c) Calculation of Payment.--
(1) Payment formula.--In providing assistance to an eligible onion producer under this section, the per acre amount of the producer's payment shall be equal to the product of--
(A) .65;
(B) the applicable annual percentage history; and
(C) payment rate.
(2) Annual percentage history.--For purposes of paragraph
(1)(B), a producer may select as the producer's annual percentage history either the producer's own historical yield before 1996, per hundredweight, or the New York State average of 298 cwt.
(3) Payment rate.--For purposes of paragraph (1)(C), the Secretary shall use the 5-year average market price for yellow onions of $15.00 cwt.
(d) Implementation.--The Secretary shall issue guidelines for the provisions of assistance under this section, which shall be available to affected onion producers not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. Subject to the availability of funds for this purpose, the Secretary shall make payments available under this section in an expeditious time frame in order to alleviate the severe financial strain of New York State onion producers.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated $40,000,000 to carry out this Act.
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