Published August 1988 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd Drought Relief for West Virginia Farmers With record temperatures and disastrous shortfalls of rain across the country, the United States has been hit this summer with the worst drought in 50 years. While for most people these conditions have meant discomfort, for many farmers this drought threatens bankruptcy and a loss of livelihood. Against that background, the United States Senate recently passed S. 2631, a bill to give federal assistance to the agriculture sector as a result of the current drought. Although rains have come to some parts of parched regions in recent weeks, the damage to crops and livestock for large numbers of farmers and growers is already so great as to spell massive financial losses. In West Virginia, for example, many farmers have sustained, to date, crop losses up to 40 percent, and some report losses as high as 80 percent. This legislation will benefit West Virginia farms in several ways. The disaster payment program will provide payments to farmers who have suffered more than a 35-percent loss in production due to the drought, not only for crops covered under current Federal support programs, but for all "non-program" crops as well. These payments will be equal to 65 percent of the established crop price for the production deficiency in excess of 35 percent. This is particularly important to West Virginia farmers whose crops are not currently covered. In addition, many West Virginia livestock producers have been unable to purchase the feed that they need at a reasonable cost. Under this bill, the livestock feed assistance provisions extend assistance not only to livestock producers who produce their own feed, but also to those who must purchase feed for their herds. Moreover, West Virginia dairy farmers will benefit from a provision in the Senate-passed version of this bill that would rescind the 50-percent dairy price support cut that was scheduled to occur January 1, 1989. This provision would help dairy farmers who are facing increased feed costs due to the drought. I hope that this legislation becomes law quickly, in order that West Virginia's farmers will receive the assistance that they need now, before they suffer irreversible damages. August 3, 1988