WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture – stressed the importance of Congress passing a disaster relief bill to assist producers who have been impacted by flooding across the Midwest in a speech on the floor of the United States Senate.

“In the days following the worst of the flooding, I visited areas of Kansas that were underwater,” said Sen. Moran. “I saw farm ground that cannot be planted or put in productive use until significant time, effort and resources are invested in restoring that land. Continued rainfall across the state and region has threatened to cause additional flooding in many areas, as well as delayed planting for many farmers. It is important, it is necessary, that Congress meet the challenge of providing assistance to those producers, many of whom lost everything.”

“With the market uncertainty due to trade disputes, farmers have more grain in storage than usual, waiting for prices to increase,” continued Sen. Moran. “When that grain is wiped out by floods, it is very similar to the family’s savings account drained of cash. Currently, disaster programs are not equipped to help these producers who lost a year’s worth of work and income when their stored grain was damaged or destroyed. Congress has the opportunity in the disaster bill to give USDA the authority to cover lost stored grain and to help get these producers back on their feet.” 

Click Here to Watch Sen. Moran’s Full Remarks

 Remarks as delivered:

“Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the devastation that I’ve seen as I’ve toured flooded areas of Kansas, as well as parts of Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa, and the need for Congress to pass a disaster bill that provides assistance to impacted agricultural producers.

“Kansas farmers and ranchers have endured several challenging years. Since 2013, net farm income has been cut in half due to low commodity prices. And the flooding across Kansas and the Midwest has been one more setback in a long list of challenges facing our farmers and ranchers.

“In the days following the worst of the flooding, I visited areas of Kansas that were underwater. I saw farm ground that cannot be planted or put in productive use until significant time, effort and resources are invested in restoring that land. Continued rainfall across the state and region has threatened to cause additional flooding in many areas, as well as delayed planting for many farmers.

“It is important, it is necessary, that Congress meet the challenge of providing assistance to those producers, many of whom lost everything.

“As negotiations continue on a disaster bill, I would like to highlight the importance of providing funds for the Emergency Conservation Program and amending the current disaster program to help cover cost of lost stored grain.

“The Emergency Conservation Program was authorized to help producers restore land damaged from natural disasters, including floods. Kansans are unfortunately familiar with ECP as a result of assistance our state received in rebuilding fences following devastating wildfires of 2017 and 2018.

“However, this program currently does not have sufficient funds to cover producers impacted by this year’s floods. I’ve asked Secretary Perdue about ECP budget shortfall at a recent Ag Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, and as expected, he gave his full endorsement and support for Congress providing funds for ECP in this bill. Secretary Perdue recognizes that funds must be provided and other ag disaster programs to help producers restore damaged land and remove flood debris.

“Congress must also provide assistance to producers who lost stored grain due to floods.  Oftentimes, a farmer’s income or revenue is not money in a bank, but instead grain stored away in a bin waiting to be sold.

“With the market uncertainty due to trade disputes, farmers have more grain in storage than usual, waiting for prices to increase. When that grain is wiped out by floods, it is very similar to the family’s savings account drained of cash.

“Currently, disaster programs are not equipped to help these producers who lost a year’s worth of work and income when their stored grain was damaged or destroyed. Congress has the opportunity in the disaster bill to give USDA the authority to cover loss stored grain and to help get these producers back on their feet. 

“While faced with these great challenges, farmers and ranchers continue to provide the food, the fuel and the fiber for our nation and the world. Agriculture is one of the most demanding ways of life, it is full of uncertainty, but it also a very noble calling.

“It is imperative that Congress pass a disaster bill to help producers who have lost goods to floods and other disasters, and to make certain farmers and ranchers across the nation know we appreciate what they do to provide to our nation.”

Click here to watch Sen. Moran’s full remarks.
 

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