Farmers in three southwest Michigan counties are eligible for federal aid now that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued them a secretarial disaster designation, action tentatively praised by U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI).
“It’s welcome news and a good start. But I will continue to encourage them to approve our disaster designation request for all of MI,” tweeted the congressman on Aug. 30 following the USDA’s designation for Berrien, Cass, and St. Joseph counties in his home state.
Michigan farmers this year have endured myriad weather issues, including record rainfall and the subsequent prolonged wet conditions that decimated the corn crop and extreme temperatures that almost wiped out the state’s peach crop, Rep. Upton said.
“Michigan farmers feed the world – but they’re facing some tough challenges. We continue to work in a bipartisan fashion on solutions for #MI06’s ag community,” tweeted Rep. Upton after an Aug. 30 legislative breakfast meeting with members of the Berrien County Farm Bureau.
During a July farm tour throughout southwest Michigan, Rep. Upton said farmers also “made it clear that they were suffering.”
In June, Rep. Upton led 13 members of the Michigan congressional delegation in urging USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue to support Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s request for a USDA secretarial disaster designation for the entire state.
“As you may know, Michigan farmers are facing incredible challenges and record production loss due to historic weather conditions,” wrote Rep. Upton and his colleagues in their June 21 letter. “According to USDA, only 63 percent of Michigan’s corn was planted as of June 9 and only 43 percent of soybeans had been planted.
“Furthermore, with disruptions in harvesting and planting, livestock and dairy farmers are facing higher feed costs and shortages later in the year,” the members wrote. “As a result, 64 of Michigan’s 83 counties spread across all fourteen congressional districts have requested disaster designations from USDA.”
According to Rep. Upton’s office, USDA’s recent designation makes farmers and producers in the three Michigan counties now “eligible to be considered for certain assistance from the Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met.”