[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 150 (Tuesday, November 19, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11547-S11548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DISASTER RELIEF
Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I would like to express my
disappointment at the delay in providing crop disaster relief to
farmers across the country. Mother Nature has not been kind this year,
dealing farmers weather that has devastated their crops and threatened
the survival of family farms.
In New York State crop damage has not come solely from drought.
Unseasonably high temperatures in the spring followed by frost and
hailstorms have devastated specialty crops such as apples, peaches,
pears, grapes, strawberries, stone fruits, onions, and cherries.
The unfortunate result of this disastrous weather is that a large
percentage of these fruit farmers are bordering on financial ruin. I
have met with the farmers and growers of New York, and their stories
are heartbreaking as they talk about bankruptcy and selling off their
family's farm. Crop disaster relief is truly needed to keep these farms
going as well as the rural economies that they support.
In order to provide this much needed assistance, I have worked with
my colleagues to pass legislation that would provide financial relief
to farmers who have suffered losses due to natural disaster aid. I
cosponsored S. 2800, a bill that would provide emergency disaster
assistance to agricultural producers. I cosponsored the crop disaster
amendment to the Interior appropriations that passed with 79 votes. And
I support Senator Baucus today in his continued efforts on behalf of
this Nation's farmers and our rural communities.
This year has been a true disaster for so many farmers. On behalf of
farmers and growers from the State of New York, I will continue to
support crop disaster relief, particularly for specialty crop
producers. I urge my colleagues to support these efforts to provide
assistance.
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I have heard my colleagues on the Senate
floor today talking about drought and the desperate need for drought
assistance. Throughout this session, I have been a fervent advocate of
drought assistance for producers in Wyoming. I am speaking today
because the need for assistance persists.
Today's discussion has focused on farmers. They need help. Farmers
missed out on the emergency livestock programs provided by the
administration. Even with crop insurance, farmers are facing serious
difficulties.
As this drought has continued for multiple years, crop insurance
premiums have increased each time a producer is forced to take a loss.
Yield averages, the basis for insurance payments, have been dropping
with dismal production each year. Crop yields are so low this year that
market prices are actually higher. The farm bill counter cyclical
payments that were designed to support prices when markets fell below a
certain level have been thwarted by these higher prices. These higher
prices are meaningless when the quantities have been so drastically
reduced. Therefore, this protection has been rendered useless.
Farmers clearly need help, but I also think it is important to
remember that our ranchers aren't safe yet either. Mr. President, I ask
unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a letter from Bob and
Nancy Tarver. They are a ranching family from near my home of Gillette,
WY.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows;
Tarver Heart X Ranch,
Gillette, WY, September 30, 2002.
Congresswoman Barbara Cubin,
U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC.
Hon. Rep. Cubin: Thank you for the opportunity to share the
impact of the past three years of drought to our livestock
business in Northeastern Wyoming. The Heart X Ranch consists
of my husband, Bob, and two sons, Robert and James. I believe
we comprise a true family farm/ranch that is so often
referenced as to what congress wishes to save. Our income is
derived totally from agriculture and we provide the labor and
management for our ranch operation. Bob and I have been in
agriculture all of our lives. I was raised on a ranch in
Southeastern Montana and Bob is a Wyoming native whose roots
are Wyoming ranching. Our oldest son, Robert, is married and
his wife, Michelle teaches at Little Powder School.
Michelle's teaching has not only contributed to their family
living but also the benefits of health insurance for their
family. They have two sons, Tayler 6 years and Wyatt 3 years
old. James is engaged to be married.
My husband and I had a dream when we married to buy a
ranch. We have managed to buy a small place and lease the
majority of acres that we operate on. Along with our sons we
run cow-calf and a yearling operation. We are ultra
conservative and run our outfit as economically as possible.
. . as our fleet of 1978 ranch pickups exemplify.
The cost of drought to a ranching operation is staggering.
Explanation and computations of drought cost are detailed in
Attachment A. Summarizing the examples of additional cost for
this year is as follows:
Hay: $120.00 per cow; Cake: $21.00 per cow; Lick & Liquid
feed: $29.40 per cow; Heifer calf-feed lot: $18.75 per cow;
Pounds & dollars lost due to drought: $185.00 per cow;
$374.15.
The additional expenses that I have covered are the reality
of drought.
This is our third year of drought. The above are additional
cost for this year alone!
I am most grateful for the Feed Program--$23 per head,
Livestock Compensation Program--$18 per head, and the Nap
program--$1.00 per acre (depends on% loss, and if acres are
eligible) it is very evident from these numbers to see the
critical need for these programs and also the Disaster
Program for Livestock Assistance and Crop Disaster. Drought
is a natural disaster and the economic consequences are
devastating to agriculture. The necessity to have the
Disaster Programs for 2001 and 2002 are vital to save
[[Page S11548]]
the drought areas of American ranching and farming.
I believe with my whole heart and soul that to keep America
strong we need our farms and ranches providing the American
consumers the safest and best products in the world.
It is very humbling to share this information. However, I
am very proud to be a rancher and I am overwhelmed by not
only the financial devastation but also the mental pressures
of trying to save a viable family ranching operation from the
ravages of an unforgiving drought.
The drought in Wyoming has been compared to the 1930's. It
is heartbreaking to think that in America, commonly thought
of as the land of opportunity, the only ones that will be
left following the drought are the very wealthy and the hobby
rancher.
Thank you for your dedicated and persistent efforts to help
us in agriculture to survive the drought.
Sincerely,
Nancy Tarver.
____
Schedule A.--Additional Cost of Drought 2002
1. We normally produce 1200-2000 ton of hay per year. 2000,
2001, and 2002 we produced only 150 ton per year. We have
been faced with purchasing hay because of very little hay
produced. Hay prices have jumped because of the far-reaching
drought conditions. The demand exceeds the supply. Cow
alfalfa hay prices (depending on your location/freight) have
ranged from $110 to $130 per ton for cow grass alfalfa hay.
The cost for our operation to replace the hay we did not grow
because of the drought is $80.00 per ton. [Using purchased
hay costing $115 per ton-$35 (cost to put up your own hay) =
$80 dollars per ton].
The drought mandates we feed hay for at least 5 months (150
days @ 20 pounds per day = 1\1/2\ ton per cow X $80 dollars
per ton =$120.00 per cow.
2. Additional cattle cake is needed because of loss of
natural grazing vegetation. Cattle cake is fed along with the
hay to balance the nutritional needs of cattle. Because of
the drought twice the amount of pounds of cake per cow are
fed to meet the nutritional needs. We need wheat mids cake
(14 %protein) normal ration 2 pounds. The increase in cake
cost is 14 cents a day. The additional expense for cake for
150 days is $21.00 per head.
3. To enhance the limited natural vegetation supplemental
feeds (lick tubs or liquid feed) were used for 7 months this
year. The additional expense was 14 cents per day per cow--
210 dayX.14 cents =$29.40 per cow.
4. Additional Pasture & freight we have not found
additional pasture. The cost of moving is substantial: a.
$8.00 per head to freight about anywhere; b. $18.00-$25.00
per head to pasture cow calf pairs.
5. We pasture our heifer calves until they are yearlings,
keeping some as replacements for our herd and selling the
remainder as bred heifers and open yearlings. This year
because of the drought the heifers calves will be sent a feed
yard for the winter months. The cost to feed the calves a
growth ration only is $1.00 per day. If we had the feed we
would do this cheaper at home. The additional cost to us will
be at least 25 cents per day. 25cents X 150 =$37.50 per
heifer calf. For loss computation I have used 50% heifer
calves in a herd so this loss would be $18.75 for calculation
purposes.
6. Less pounds have caused loss of income. We had to sell
steer calves and the small heifer calves starting August 15,
normally we sell calves the end of October. Our steer calves
in August weighted an average of 420 pounds compared to 600
pounds last October. A 180-pound per steer calf loss is
devastating. Unfortunately there was a 20% drop in calf
prices, which compounded the pound loss. Steer calf income
took a 31% drop in 2002 for our ranch operation--$420 dollars
compared to $605 dollars the previous year. $185 per cow loss
in steer calf dollars produced.
7. Liquidation of the cowherd. Foundation stock cow sales
are giving up a lifetime commitment and are so very costly.
Herd genetics are a ranchers pride and also our profit. It
takes years to build a quality herd of cattle that does well
in our area and on our range. We would find buying back
quality cows that fit our ranching operation near impossible
and certainly cost prohibitive. The dollar value of this
cannot be measured.
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I won't read the entire letter, but I would
like to highlight a few points that Bob and Nancy make. They are very
thankful for the assistance given through the Livestock Feed Assistance
Program and the Livestock Compensation Program. These programs together
provide about $41 of assistance per cow. With this assistance, they
have purchased additional feed to supply their needs for the winter.
The Tarvers point out in their letter, however, that they have lost
about $374 per cow in 2002 due to drought. This loss has occurred
primarily through reduced forage growth in pastures, increased hay
costs and lower cattle weights. The drought assistance provided so far
has been short term. If we are going to save our family ranchers, we
must do more.
The Senate has consistently supported providing real relief to our
producers. In September we voted on an emergency agricultural amendment
I cosponsored. That amendment would have provided almost $6 billion on
both farmers and livestock producers endangered by the drought across
America. After it was passed 79-16, the amendment was stalled along
with the Interior Appropriations bill. This was not the first time the
Senate has shown strong support for disaster relief only to have it
snatched away. Senator Baucus and I successfully added an agricultural
disaster assistance package to the farm bill with a steady 69-30 vote.
The assistance package was removed from the conference report by the
House.
We are not following through on our promises. The time has come to
fulfill our words with action. If we have missed our final opportunity
in this Congress, I urge my colleagues to pass emergency agricultural
assistance as a top priority when we begin the 108th session. Thank
you.
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