Daines seeks federal disaster assistance for home-state farmers

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) recently requested prompt federal financial support for Montana farmers who have lost their crops due to excessive regional rainfall.

“As you know, Montana farmers and the agriculture economy overall are facing significant challenges, whether it be low commodity prices, weather or market access issues,” Sen. Daines wrote in an Oct. 7 letter sent to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. “This rainfall has occurred during harvest and has resulted in losses due to high yields yet very low quality which renders crop insurance ineffective and has dramatically reduced the value and market for their crop.”

Sen. Daines also asked the secretary to permit farmers in northeast Montana who have been impacted by the rainfall to become eligible to participate in the Wildlife and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) program and have the WHIP+ program account for price impacts due to severe quality loss from excessive moisture, according to his letter.

“I appreciate USDA’s efforts to provide an effective and efficient safety net for farmers when natural disasters or severe weather strikes and I believe these weather events and resulting losses qualify,” wrote the senator.