“Many producers have been waiting for
assistance with natural disasters since 2022”
This is a reality. Many farm workers, farmers, and ranchers are
still waiting on financial relief from crisis\disasters (floods, wildfires, crop
losses, etc.) since over 2022. In some States
there may even be no relief since 2019. Small farmers are the most affected, and the alternative to multinational AG producers.
Once attending a 2023 Zoom session
on farm workers, farmers, and ranchers it was stated that those groups were
seeking relief since 2019. One of the
attendees mentioned that they noticed a look on my face of astonishment and basically
disgust.
Farm workers, farmers, and ranchers
are caught between three worlds of disaster relief: (1). State\County programs, (2).
USDA, and (3). DHS\FEMA.
If all disasters initially start as LOCAL
before federal intervention and assistance there are system failures in all
three areas starting from local processes & procedures to address the
threats, vulnerabilities, and risks for the local communities that the States
and Counties play a major role.
System patching, and redesigning the
current systems is not the answer. A new
effective and efficient system may be the answer. A starting point is open and full-inclusion
for entire community. The community of
the public, farm workers, farmers, and ranchers have a voice.
Charles D. Sharp
Chair\CEO
BEMA International
(Black Emergency Managers
Association International)
Washington, D.C.
|
Opinion:
Disaster relief needed to help ag producers
10/25/24
11:44 AM By Rep.
David Valadao The state of California is the fifth largest supplier
of food in the world and accounts for 12.5% of the nation's agricultural production.
However, recent natural disasters and extreme weather have put California’s farmers' ability
to grow food and the security of our nation’s food supply at risk.
After years of extreme drought that cost California’s
agriculture industry over $1 billion per year, atmospheric rivers and a lack
of water storage infrastructure led to severe flooding throughout
California’s Central Valley last year. Farmers went from fallowing land due
to an unreliable water supply to dealing with thousands of acres of farmland
under water.
It seems those who provide food for the nation can’t
seem to catch a break.
While impacts on California’s agriculture industry are
top of mind for me, farmers and producers across the entire United States
have experienced significant agricultural losses due to floods, hurricanes,
droughts, tornadoes, wildfires, and weather-related pest damages over the
last few years. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, severe weather and major
disasters caused over $21 billion in crop losses just in 2023 alone. The
states with the largest losses due to severe weather include Texas, Kansas,
Florida, and California.
Natural disasters have severely affected crop and
livestock production and continue to jeopardize our nation’s food security,
as well as the economic stability of our rural communities.
We must act to provide much-needed assistance for farmers, ranchers, and
rural communities impacted by natural disasters. I introduced the
Agriculture Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act to provide
the U.S. Department of Agriculture with an additional $14 billion to
assist producers impacted by natural disaster losses in 2023.
In a perfect world, this kind of ad hoc assistance
wouldn’t be necessary. Unfortunately, there are gaps in existing risk
management programs at the USDA that necessitate additional support. Take
dairy as an example. During the flooding in the Central Valley in 2023,
dairy producers incurred significant costs from property damage, feed losses,
and transportation costs from moving livestock. When this happened, the
industry quickly realized there were limited options for them to be
reimbursed for these costs.
In a similar situation in Puerto Rico in 2017,
then-Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue used Commodity Credit Corporation
emergency assistance funds to help dairy producers. Unfortunately, Ag
Secretary Tom Vilsack has not utilized his full authority within the CCC to
do the same for producers impacted by the 2023 disasters. I’ve asked the secretary directly why dairy farmers who
need help are getting left behind, and I
introduced legislation so that there’s no question that the
Secretary has the authority to use these funds.
The Agriculture Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act aims
to make existing disaster programs more accessible for the dairy industry.
The bill includes a $1.5 billion carveout for livestock losses and provides
expanded assistance to livestock producers, including relocation of
livestock, feed crop losses, and shelter-in-place procedures.
Right now, Congress is working on reauthorizing a new
farm bill to improve and strengthen some of these disaster programs. But the
timing of a new five-year authorization of the farm bill is uncertain, and
our producers deserve timely access to relief.
Many
producers have been waiting for assistance with natural disasters since 2022.
While we work on a new farm bill that includes additional crop insurance
mechanisms, those tools will not be accessible for producers soon enough.
Providing immediate assistance in the meantime is critical.
America’s farmers are resilient, but sometimes nature
changes course, and producers are dealt another unpredictable set of
circumstances. We must ensure our farmers are equipped to deal with these
circumstances to secure the safety of our nation’s food supply.
Rep. David G. Valadao is a lifelong dairy farmer and represents California’s 22nd District. He is a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and serves on the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration. |
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