In Meeting with Secretary of Agriculture, Illinois Delegation Members Press for Federal Relief for Farmers

Press Release

In Meeting with Secretary of Agriculture, Illinois Delegation Members Press for Federal Relief for Farmers

In a meeting today with the Secretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Ed Schafer, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation continued to press for more federal assistance for Illinois counties that have experienced major flooding and storm damage. Specifically, the members pressed for special assistance to farmers as part of a coordinated effort between federal agencies, state agencies and local governments throughout the Midwest to help residents, families and businesses recover from the disaster.

"I want to thank Secretary Schafer for coming in to speak with us today about the current flood situation in Illinois," said Durbin. "I am concerned by reports of whole farms being inundated with water, damaging land, preventing farmers from planting, and potentially lowering crop yields. It is essential that USDA is part of the coordinated federal response to ensure that farmers in Illinois and throughout the Midwest are given the resources they need to recover after the flood waters recede."

In today's meeting, Durbin, Schafer and members of the delegation discussed three major actions the USDA can take in addition to closely coordinating with state and local agencies to ease the flood burden on farmers in the Midwest:

* Allow the current crop year to be eligible for payments under the Permanent Disaster Program - The 2008 Farm Bill contains a provision (known as the Permanent Disaster Program) that makes producers eligible for disaster payments when they suffer significant crop losses. To get the program started, USDA must first issue regulations establishing the program. Having this program up and running would make Midwestern farmers eligible for payments if they incur significant weather-related losses.

* Waive the late planting penalties for soybeans that are mandated under the Crop Insurance Program - The Crop Insurance Program establishes deadlines for when producers must plant a crop and what they are eligible for if they are flooded out. The penalties include a reduction in crop insurance coverage for producers who plant soybeans after June 15 and a mandate that producers who receive prevented planting payments because of flooding not re-plant a crop before July 1. Waiving these penalties will remove some disincentives for producers to plant crops or re-plant crops later in the planting season.

* Allow for earlier haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program ground - The Conservation Reserve Program sets aside roughly thirty-two million acres of land for conservation purposes. During weather emergencies, the Secretary of Agriculture can modify the rules for the program to allow ranchers to use the ground for grazing and hay earlier in the year than is usually allowed for the program. This action will relieve some of the pressures on the cost and availability of animal feed.

Yesterday, Durbin and Representatives Melissa Bean (D-IL) and John Shimkus (R-IL) along with representatives from Obama's office and several other congressional offices met with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to urge additional assistance for the storm and flood stricken Illinois counties.

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