Press Releases
September 30, 2008
Congress Approves Conrad Ag Disaster Fix
Proposal Addresses Concerns Expressed at Senator's Community Meetings
Washington – The United States Congress has approved a fix authored by Senator Kent Conrad to improve the standing disaster provision written into the 2008 Farm Bill. Senator Conrad’s fix will ensure that only producers suffering tangible losses will receive assistance while also allowing farmers and ranchers more flexibility when insuring their lands.
“After a two-year effort, Congress finally adopted a sensible disaster relief package in the 2008 Farm Bill. Unfortunately the way it was written prevented the delivery of assistance to many of the very people it was intended to help,” Senator Conrad said. “By incorporating this fix, we will finally deliver on the promise of disaster relief for our family farmers when natural disasters like flood or drought strike the heartland.”
Senator Conrad heard from a number of North Dakota producers who voiced concerns about the way the disaster assistance program was being implemented during his city-to-city tour of North Dakota this summer. Senator Conrad immediately sought to clarify and correct the language of the bill when Congress reconvened.
Specifically, Senator Conrad’s fix will allow North Dakota farmers and ranchers certain flexibility when insuring small acreages by allowing for a de minimis exemption. Additionally, the plan clarifies that tangible production loss must be shown before a producer can receive assistance.
Senator Conrad fought successfully to include a $3.8 billion agriculture disaster program in the Farm Bill to provide a federal response to farm disasters that would be both timely and reliable. Prior to the standing disaster provision, Congress considered each disaster on a case-by-case basis.
Agriculture is the largest segment of North Dakota’s economy, with one of every five North Dakotans earning their living from farming.
