Hoeven Requests Crop Damage Assessment From USDA

Press Release

Hoeven Requests Crop Damage Assessment From USDA

Gov. John Hoeven today sent a letter to Farm Service Agency State Director Gary Nelson requesting that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) complete a damage assessment as soon as practical of agriculture production to document crop and forage losses for all North Dakota counties. The move is the first step in requesting a secretarial disaster declaration from the USDA.

Crop conditions and crop loss reports in parts of North Dakota for this growing season have indicated loss of crop production and quality in varying degrees due to drought, hail, high winds and other weather related impacts. The county reports will be used to determine which counties will be included in a likely request for a USDA secretarial disaster declaration.

"Dry weather, and in some cases hail, has severely impacted our farmers, particularly in the western part of our state," Hoeven said. "A disaster declaration may help producers qualify for disaster assistance that we worked hard to have included in the Farm Bill."

Earlier in the season, Hoeven requested that the USDA open Conservation Reserve Program acres, including CP-23 areas, for haying and grazing for ranchers affected by adverse conditions. Currently, the agency has approved 18 counties for grazing and is considering opening four more. The agency has also reduced the CRP rental payment reduction rate from 25 to 10 percent.

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