Senate Avoids Farm Aid

June 10, 2002

According to the National Farmers Union, Congress missed a chance to provide "much-needed" disaster assistance for farmers as the Senate passed the defense supplemental bill late last week. Sens. Max Baucus (D) and Conrad Burns (R), both of Montana, had planned an amendment to the defense supplemental bill that would have provided $1.8 billion in emergency assistance for crop production loss due to natural disasters and $500 million to livestock producers forced to liquidate herds or purchase additional feed rations because of grazing and haying losses.

"While Congress has assisted other emergency losses, the natural disasters that devastate crop and livestock producers are still ignored," said NFU President Dave Frederickson. The amendment was not considered due to a procedural move.

Montana Farmers Union President Del Styren, a fourth-generation wheat and barley farmer from Brady, MT, has seen his crops hit by drought. "In 2001 I could only harvest 25% of my acres, and crop insurance hardly covered the production costs so there was little to nothing to live on," he said. "In an average year I can yield at least 45 bushels of winter wheat (per acre) and 60 to 65 bushels of barley. Last year I got 15 bushels of barley and no winter wheat."

Styren said some parts of Montana are facing a fourth year of drought conditions. In 2001, the agriculture secretary declared the entire state a disaster. More than 1,500 U.S. counties were also declared agricultural disaster areas due to drought, disease and insect infestations.

Although Baucus tried to address the situation with $2.4 billion in emergency disaster relief in the Senate farm bill proposal, the House of Representatives rejected the provision in conference because it would have increased the budget deficit.

Last week, the Bush Administration also opposed the latest version of the aid package, pointing out that the farm bill increases spending on farm programs by $73.5 billion and should avoid any need for annual emergency legislation. The White House said, in effect, that an increase of $73.5 billion is enough.

"The farm bill is a step in the right direction, but disaster assistance is needed now," said Styren. "Five years means nothing to anyone who won't be here in two years. People are hanging on by a thread."