Groups Urge Drought Assistance Approval

August 1, 2002

The Senate Agriculture Committee is scheduled to take up an emergency disaster assistance measure for farmers today, and 20 agricultural groups are urging senators to approve the legislation. The groups support a package to help farmers and ranchers who have suffered crop and livestock losses the last two years.

The new farm law provides increased economic resources, certainty, and stability across a wide range of agricultural, rural, and nutrition programs administered by USDA.

"For commodities, we believe it was the intent of Congress that the new farm bill reduce or eliminate the need for future ad hoc market loss-related assistance and, instead, provide a similar level of assistance in a more efficient and cost effective manner than the legislation it replaced," the groups said in a letter to senators.

"In fact, the projected outlays for commodity programs under the new law are projected to be significantly less than the annual average federal expenditures incurred since 1998. However, the new farm bill with its more stable level of funding is incapable of predicting and adequately dealing with natural disasters."