[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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