Tom Harkin

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer last week, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) should ensure that farmers affected by excessive rainfall and flooding have accurate and timely information and assistance, and that they should not be penalized in later regulations for decisions and actions they need to take to deal with the pressing circumstances in the aftermath of disaster. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s June Market Update released yesterday shows that crops have incurred more than $8 billion in weather-related damages so far this year. Harkin’s home state of Iowa accounts for at least $4 billion of that overall total.

“In the wake of the enormous crop damage done by floods and disastrous weather over the last few weeks, Iowa farmers are scrambling to get the best information possible about what their options are for their crops in fields that are flooded or otherwise damaged by recent events,” said Harkin. “Those farmers have a range of programs conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that they should be able to turn to in these difficult times, but it is important that state and federal officials work together to make sure that timely and accurate information and assistance is provided about potential benefits from these programs and how they might be accessed.”

Harkin also called upon Secretary Schafer to take a number of actions that would assist livestock, dairy, poultry and egg producers to help them deal with hardships caused by current disaster and economic circumstances.