U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) on Sept. 26 sponsored legislation that would improve drought-related disaster assistance programs overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“Louisiana has been experiencing record droughts, affecting the livelihood of our farmers and producers,” Rep. Letlow said. “Eight weeks of drought conditions is far too long for farmers to have to wait for assistance while they only receive one month of payment in return.”
The Drought Assistance Improvement Act, H.R. 5691, would amend the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and improve the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP).
Currently, the LFP requires cattle producers to be at a Severe Drought level for eight consecutive weeks to qualify for one month of disaster relief. The U.S. Drought Monitor, which documents the location, intensity, and length of droughts across the country, is used by USDA to determine when to start drought relief, but the information isn’t updated quickly enough, potentially leaving producers who are experiencing rapid drought conditions without aid, according to a bill summary provided by the congresswoman’s staff.
If enacted, H.R. 5691 would provide for one monthly payment when a parish has four consecutive weeks of a Severe Drought rating and two payments for eight consecutive weeks, the summary says.
“I’ve proposed we lower this metric to four weeks to ensure our farmers and producers can continue their family farming operations that are crucial to our region,” said Rep. Letlow.
Additionally, H.R. 5691 would expand ELAP coverage for farm-raised fish producers, including crawfish farmers, who have experienced losses caused by extreme weather or drought, and require USDA to provide documentation standards related to decreased production of crawfish due to drought conditions, providing producers with clearer rules and better understanding of program requirements, according to the summary.
“This proposal is the first step in addressing shortcomings of how we use the drought monitor system to distribute disaster relief payments to our hardworking producers,” Rep. Letlow said.
The bill is supported by the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.