The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) must quickly take actions to support farmers and rural communities devastated by Hurricane Helene, according to U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) and 14 of her Republican colleagues.
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) strike teams should be deployed to the hardest-hit areas; the Risk Management Agency (RMA) must collaborate with local stakeholders and utilize regional rainfall data to ensure more accurate assessments for damage and crop insurance claims; and USDA disaster aid must be provided to affected states through block grants, the lawmakers wrote in an Oct. 4 letter sent to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“These actions will be critical to ensuring a swift and effective recovery for our agricultural communities,” wrote Rep. Cammack and her colleagues, who included U.S. Reps. Laurel Lee (R-FL) and Buddy Carter (R-GA).
The lawmakers noted that while Hurricane Helene affected agricultural production throughout the Southeast, they don’t yet know the extent of the damage to agricultural producers.
“However, based on preliminary reports and assessments, there will be significant crop, livestock, farm equipment, and infrastructure losses throughout Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia,” they wrote. “These losses pose a threat to both local economies and our nation’s food supply.”
Rep. Cammack and her colleagues requested additional FSA personnel to be deployed to affected areas to help agricultural producers navigate USDA’s disaster programs and processes.
“We believe deploying additional FSA personnel would make a significant difference in expediting recovery efforts, ensuring that those most affected by this disaster receive the support and resources they need to rebuild their livelihoods,” wrote the members.
Likewise, the lawmakers said they’ve heard concerns from producers about RMA rainfall data conflicting with other local rainfall measurements, like rainfall data from local Water Management Districts, particularly in Florida.
They noted their own concerns about these inconsistencies, saying farm programs rely on rainfall data, and inaccurate measurements can result in miscalculations of payments, “unfairly penalizing those who have been hardest hit by these disasters.”
Lastly, they urged the USDA to deliver current and future aid to communities affected by Hurricane Helene using block grants to states in order to expedite the delivery of assistance, free up personnel at FSA to carry out routine farm programs, and provide flexibility for states to match the unique needs of their producers and communities.