By Jamie Martin
A group of U.S. Senators, including Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, and Richard Blumenthal, have urged USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to ensure that the $21 billion in federal disaster aid reaches small farmers. They emphasized that many small farms grow multiple crops that lack specific insurance options, making it difficult to access emergency funding.
“Many small farms grow multiple crops—including fruit and vegetable varieties that do not have crop-specific insurance options—making it more difficult to purchase crop insurance and subsequently, more difficult to collect and report loss data for emergency programs if they are uninsured,” the Senators wrote.
The Senators stressed the need for the USDA to provide technical assistance to farmers navigating the application process. They requested an update on how aid will be distributed, particularly given USDA staffing challenges. Additionally, they urged USDA to reserve funds for small farmers, as multi-crop farms may take longer to apply.
They also called for a portion of the funds to help farmers purchase crop insurance for future protection. Furthermore, they requested that uninsured farmers be compensated based on farm-specific revenue losses and that USDA publish a detailed report on aid distribution.
A response is expected by March 31, 2025. The letter was cosigned by Senators Jeff Merkley, Adam Schiff, Ben Ray Luján, Tina Smith, Michael Bennet, Raphael Warnock, and Alex Padilla.
To explore the full contents of the letter, click here.
Photo Credit: usda
Categories: National