Issue Position: Agriculture

Issue Position

Issue Position: Agriculture

Since first being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996, I have fought hard to promote South Dakota's agriculture economy and to protect the way of life for South Dakota's farming families. I support mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL), which will give our farmers and ranchers a greater chance to compete in the marketplace, and value-added agriculture, which creates more agriculture jobs in our state. As your Senator and a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I anticipate playing a key role in preparing the 2007 Farm Bill to ensure that our farming and ranching families receive the support they deserve.

Farmers and ranchers across South Dakota continue to suffer from crop and livestock losses caused by a prolonged drought in our state. As our farmers continue to face another dry season compounded by high fuel and fertilizer costs, Congress must act now on disaster relief to help our farmers pay off production loans and secure financing for continued operations.

I am a cosponsor of legislation, the Emergency Farm Relief Act of 2007, that would provide over $4.4 billion in emergency disaster assistance for crop and livestock losses that occurred during 2005 and 2006. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to pass this or similar legislation that provides long-overdue disaster assistance to our farm and ranch families.

Each year, severe drought conditions threaten to take the life out of our agriculture communities, in turn delivering a major blow to rural state economies. While drought is something many South Dakota producers have come to expect, the relief necessary to recover from it is not as certain. To address this concern, I am also a cosponsor of legislation that would create a permanent agriculture disaster assistance program for the 2007 crop year and future crop years. Under the Permanent Emergency Agricultural Assistance Act, farmers who purchase crop insurance or agree to purchase insurance in the future would be eligible for reimbursement for a portion of their losses. Ranchers would also be eligible for indemnity payments or livestock assistance for losses caused by natural disasters and extreme weather conditions.

As we deal with yet another year of dry conditions in South Dakota, be assured I will continue fighting for timely agriculture disaster relief. Below are several links that provide additional drought relief information for our producers and others impacted by drought conditions.

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