Aid Bill Expands Recent Disaster Assistance to Farmers

The U.S. House Agriculture Committee on Tuesday advanced a disaster relief bill that would cover a wide range of producer losses in 2020 and 2021. The bill contains more generous provisions than recent relief programs. It authorizes up to $8.5 billion in aid for disasters in 2020 and 2021. The nine-page bill builds on provisions of the temporary WHIP programs that started in the wake of the 2017 hurricanes and wildfires and then expanded as WHIP+ in 2018 and 2019.

Covered losses would include drought, high winds, excessive heat and polar vortexes, but also the impact of power outages. Losses to wine grapes that are tainted with smoke also would be covered.

The bill allows direct payments to sugar and dairy cooperatives for losses, including milk dumping, that affect an entire co-op.

It also would be easier for farmers to qualify for drought losses. Under previous programs, the drought in a farmer’s area had to be classified as D3 (extreme) or D4 (exceptional). Under this committee bill, a county with a USDA disaster designation due to D2 drought could also qualify for assistance.

Payments under the bill would generally be limited to $250,000 per person, but payments for high-value specialty crops would be capped at $900,000. That’s a carryover from a previous provision that covered losses to Florida citrus growers, a source says. The bill will most likely be folded into a supplemental appropriations bill, or a year-end spending measure also is a possibility.

EDITOR’S TAKE:
This money will be necessary to compensate farmers and ranchers for losses suffered at the hands of Mother Nature. With the drought conditions becoming more severe from North and South Dakota and extending westward, this bill will spell relief for those forced to downsize beef herds and hay producers, as well as others unable to harvest their crops due to lack of rain. It will obviously offer assistance to many other producers in other regions of the country. Farmers and ranchers who are eligible will put the funds to good use.