KRUSE REQUESTS IMPLEMENTATION OF SUPPLEMENTARY DISASTER ASSISTANCE
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - In a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture, Missouri Farm Bureau President Charlie Kruse asked for the immediate implementation of the new Supplementary Disaster Assistance Program provided for in the recently adopted farm bill, the Food, Conservation and Energy Act, and consideration of measures to ease concerns of livestock producers.
"Like our neighbors to the north and east, adverse weather conditions plagued Missouri and made it a difficult growing season for many producers," Kruse related in the letter. "Flooding along the Mississippi River as well as tributaries flowing into the Missouri River in our northwest and north-central counties impacted tens of thousands of acres."
Kruse told the Secretary it is still too soon know the full extent of crop losses, but "...even in areas not ravaged by flood waters, extremely wet conditions delayed planting and haying by several weeks on average." Given theses challenging circumstances, Kruse asked for implementation of the Supplemental Disaster Assistance Program.
"Furthermore, we request consideration of a change in the harvest date for prevented planting crops," Kruse told the Secretary, "Allowing producers to harvest crops on prevented planted acreage beginning September 1 instead of after November 1 would help ease some concerns for livestock producers."
Kruse said the date change would include a strict stipulation that the grain may only be chopped and used as livestock feed. Additionally, Kruse requested an immediate, one-time release of Conservation Reserve Program acres for haying and grazing in disaster and contiguous counties.
"When you see all the weather-related problems we've had and the resulting damage to agriculture, Missouri Farm Bureau feels these measures by the USDA could prove very helpful," Kruse said.
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