$1 billion will be distributed to farmers who suffered losses because of natural disasters
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is helping farmers who suffered disaster-related losses in 2018 and 2019.
Starting June 15, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency will make $1 billion in payments to eligible farmers who qualified for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) program and farmers who have already received payments through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+).
“From massive floods to winter storms, and from extreme drought to excess moisture, natural disaster events in 2018 and 2019 were exceptionally catastrophic for agricultural producers nationwide - many suffered the impacts of multiple events in not just one but both years,” FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux said in a statement. “QLA and the second round of WHIP+ assistance will provide much-needed assistance to help producers offset significant financial loss.”
The QLA program provides support to crop and forage producers who experienced quality losses because of qualifying natural disasters occurring in 2018 or 2019.
Qualifying events include drought, wildfires, flooding, hurricanes and tornados.
Farmers enrolled in WHIP+ and who have already received a payment will receive a second payment once these funds are released.
WHIP+ covers losses of crops, trees, bushes and vines which came as a result of natural disaster events.
Farmer representatives are pleased with the funding announcement.
Producers are continually facing challenges outside of their control, and these payments will help growers make up for crop losses, said North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer.
American “producers have suffered significant hardship in recent years, and at a time of extreme drought with soaring input costs and dramatic supply chain disruptions, these funds will provide much-needed relief to help them cover losses caused by events that were out of their control,” he said in a statement. “I am grateful to see progress being made in getting our producers this assistance, and I urge the Agriculture Department to get these payments into the hands of qualified applicants as quickly as possible.”
Farms.com has contacted industry groups for comment.