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Summary:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several permanently authorized programs to help farmers recover financially from a natural disaster, including federal crop insurance, the noninsured assistance program and emergency disaster loans. Since 1988, Congress regularly has made supplemental financial assistance available to farmers and ranchers, primarily in the form of crop disaster payments and emergency livestock assistance. A severe drought in portions of the Midwest and a series of hurricanes (particularly Katrina and Rita) in the Gulf adversely affected 2005 agricultural production in those regions. So far, Congress has provided nearly $200 million for farm debris cleanup in a supplemental act (P.L. 109-148). However, no emergency assistance has been provided to compensate producers for 2005 crop and livestock losses. Some groups are pressuring Congress to provide assistance similar to the farm disaster package that was provided for 2003 and 2004 production losses in an earlier supplemental (P.L. 108-324). This report reviews ongoing and recently enacted ad-hoc emergency USDA disaster programs. It will be updated as conditions warrant.
