The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a supplemental appropriations bill that included $3.7 billion for agriculture disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers who experienced losses in 2005-2007.
"This disaster package will finally provide some relief to farmers and ranchers who have been waiting for Congress to act for more than a year," said Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson. "I told farmers and ranchers across the country that a Democratic Congress would make this a high priority, and todayÆs vote demonstrates our commitment to making good on that promise."
While the agriculture disaster assistance package provides much needed assistance for farmers and ranchers, Chairman Peterson worked closely with House Leadership to create a program that was disciplined and fiscally restrained. Producers can apply for a disaster payment for only one of the three years covered in the proposal, and for the first time, only farmers who had insured their crop are eligible for payments.
The agriculture disaster assistance package includes assistance for farmers who lost 35% or more of their crop in one of the covered years and for livestock producers in counties that experienced USDA designated natural disasters during the covered time.
http://democrats-agriculture.house.gov
Source: House Committee on Agriculture
