WASHINGTON (July 30, 2002) – National Farmers Union announced today that 20 agriculture organizations support emergency disaster assistance legislation for crop and livestock producers suffering losses during 2001 and 2002 due to natural disasters.

In letters to U.S. senators today the groups urged passage of S. 2800, recently introduced by Montana Sens. Max Baucus and Conrad Burns and others providing comprehensive assistance for production or quality losses.

"American agriculture groups stand united in support of emergency assistance to address the impact of adverse weather-related disasters facing approximately 40 percent of the nation," said National Farmers Union President Dave Frederickson. "Hopefully, our united approach will lead to quick passage of emergency disaster assistance legislation.

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July 30, 2002

United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senators:

The undersigned organizations write to urge your support for S. 2800, legislation introduced by Senators Max Baucus and Conrad Burns to provide emergency disaster assistance for crop and livestock producers who have suffered losses during the 2001 and 2002 agriculture production years due to natural disasters. Such disaster assistance would be consistent with previous emergency legislation approved by Congress and signed into law by Presidents over the past decade.

The Food Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 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. 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.

According to a recent article in the Washington Post, "In a typical year, about 15 percent of the country might experience drought. Now, more than 40 percent of the country is suffering. The worst recent drought, in July 1988, covered 36 percent of the nation; the worst drought of the Dust Bowl years was 1934, when in July 65 percent of the country baked." For U.S. farmers and ranchers, the current production disaster is multi-faceted. In many areas, drought has decimated row crops and forage and has reduced water supplies available for livestock. In other regions, farmers are experiencing crop destruction and reduced yields and quality due to flooding and an increased incidence of crop pests and diseases. Especially hard hit are the specialty crops such as apples, cherries and grapes in the Great Lakes and eastern states that suffered frost damage this season and adverse weather in 2001 that caused a failure of the blossom set required to produce fruit. Financial assistance is needed now if the economic ruin of farms, ranches and rural businesses caused by these natural disasters is to be averted.

Within the range of its existing options, we believe USDA has taken positive actions to address the weather and disease-related disasters experienced by crop and livestock producers during the 2001 and 2002 production years. Unfortunately, the Department’s authority and resources available to mitigate the losses sustained by farmers, ranchers and rural businesses are sorely inadequate given the full scope of the weather and disease problems confronting American agriculture. For example, the most recent estimate for harvested winter wheat acres has been pegged at 29.8 million acres -- the lowest level since 1917. The chief reason for this reduction is acreage abandonment due to drought.

While crop insurance, disaster loans, emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program acreage and other programs are helpful, the relief they provide pales in comparison to the devastation being experienced across a large part of rural America. We urge your active engagement and support in approving the emergency disaster assistance program introduced by Senators Baucus and Burns. This legislation provides a responsible level of assistance to those who have suffered or continue to suffer substantial losses as a result of natural disasters.

From 1998 through the 2000 production seasons, Congress and the administration worked together to provide emergency production and quality loss assistance in addition to much-needed supplemental market loss programs. However, since 2001, weather and disease-related production and quality losses have continued to mount for producers without any corresponding emergency response from our government.

We urge the Senate to approve the Baucus/Burns legislation, seek concurrence of the House of Representatives and work with the administration to ensure an adequately funded emergency program is in place. This action is needed immediately to reduce the tragic economic impacts being experienced by farmers, ranchers and their communities throughout much of rural America because of natural disasters beyond their control.

Thank you for your attention to this issue. We look forward to working with you to address this serious situation in a timely and effective manner.

Sincerely,
National Farmers Union
American Farm Bureau Federation
National Farmers Organization
National Grange
American Beekeeping Federation
American Corn Growers Association
American Sheep Industry Association
American Soybean Association
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Barley Growers Association
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
National Cotton Council
National Grain Sorghum Producers
National Grape Cooperative, Inc.
National Sunflower Association
R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America
Southern Peanut Farmers Federation
U.S. Canola Association
Vidalia Onion Business Council
Welch’s