Durbin Seeks Drought Relief

DURBIN SEEKS DROUGHT RELIEF

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced legislation to provide critical relief for farmers whose crops have suffered in one of the worst droughts in a century.

The Durbin bill would extend last year's disaster relief bill for this crop year, allowing farmers in the affected states to receive crop disaster payments, livestock compensation payments and orchard tree assistance payments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Senators Barack Obama (D-IL), Kit Bond (R-MO), and Jim Talent (R-MO) are also cosponsors of the drought relief bill.

"This year, farmers across the Midwest have struggled with a terrible drought," said Durbin. "In some parts of Illinois, this has been the driest season in 105 years. As of this month, 67 percent of Illinois corn was in poor or very poor condition."

"The aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina now make a bad situation even worse - weakening the capacity of the Port of New Orleans and increasing shipping costs and energy costs for farmers nationwide," Durbin said.

"We must take action to ensure that farmers can stay in business," said Durbin. "Most Illinois farms run by are families who depend on farming for their livelihood. This year they need our help. This simple, bipartisan legislation will extend last year's emergency designation for farms affected by this year's drought."

The Durbin bill is a one-year relief bill, extending several federal aid options to farmers and ranchers in the affected states. Crop disaster payments compensate farmers for lost crops due to natural disasters like drought; the livestock compensation program covers livestock loss and increased grazing costs; and the tree assistance program helps replant trees, bushes and vines that have been damaged or destroyed.

http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=245425&&