[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 92 (Friday, June 20, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S8305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. LINCOLN (for herself and Mr. Pryor):
  S. 1309. A bill to provide emergency assistance to producers that 
have suffered crop losses due to disasters; to the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Emergency 
Agriculture Assistance Act of 2003 on behalf of farmers throughout the 
state of Arkansas.
  Last month, my State was hit with devastating storms that produced at 
least three dozen tornadoes and as much as 20 inches of rain fall. 
These natural disasters occurred at the worst possible time for 
farmers, at the beginning of the planting season, when they need to get 
their crops into the ground.
  This is a particularly vulnerable time for farmers, since freshly 
planted crops are highly susceptible to severe weather conditions.
  A single day of heavy rains and high winds can undo a months worth of 
hard work, forcing producers to start over from scratch and replant 
entire fields or even entire farms.
  Recently I was home in east Arkansas and saw much of this damage 
firsthand. To take just one example: In Mississippi County in northeast 
Arkansas, where Clark Long farms with his two sons, Clark Jr. and 
Nathan, 11 inches of rain fell in a two day period. As a result, the 
Longs were forced to replant 1400 cotton acres. Other farmers I have 
talked to are on their second or even third plantings.
  Similar conditions abound throughout Mississippi County and northeast 
Arkansas, where historic planting deadlines have now passed. As a rule 
of thumb, a cotton farmer wants to have his crop planted no later than 
May 20th in order to maximize yields and to avoid having to harvest his 
crop in October. Farmers can typically expect yield reductions of up to 
two percent per day beyond this deadline, since late crops are 
generally more susceptible to weed and insect infestation and harsher 
weather conditions.
  Cotton farming, as well as farming commodities such as soybeans, 
wheat, and rice, is an expensive and labor intensive process. These 
severe weather conditions exacerbate that situation greatly and place 
our farmers at serious risk.
  We're going to monitor conditions throughout the year, guarding 
against further threats from severe weather, such as further tornadoes 
or even drought.
  I urge my colleagues to join Senator Pryor and me in passing this 
bill and protecting our farmers in this time of need.
  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I rise today along with my good friend and 
colleague from Arkansas, Senator Lincoln, in support of the Emergency 
Agricultural Assistance Act of 2003 to assist those in the agriculture 
community who have been devastated by natural disaster across our 
country.
  I hold in my hand a June 19th article from the Arkansas Democrat-
Gazette that describes one of the countless stories of farmers across 
my State and the hardships they have faced due to unusually large 
amounts of rainfall their farms have received during the absolute worst 
possible time. In the past month, some areas have received in excess of 
twenty inches of rain. Arkansas, along with many other States across 
the Midwest and South, has been pelted continuously by rain and 
numerous tornadoes. As many as three dozen tornadoes have touched down 
in Arkansas alone. Bob Bevis, a farmer in Lonoke County, AR hasn't been 
able to work for three weeks due to soggy fields. In the meantime, 
wheat crops that were expected to bring record yields rot in the field, 
waiting for water to recede before the wheat can be harvested. Over 
fifty percent of Arkansas' wheat crop remains in the field, and with 
every passing day, the prospects for a successful harvest of wheat 
diminish. If current weather conditions abate, our farmers may be able 
to harvest five hundred fifty thousand acres, the lowest total in over 
seventeen years.
  The harvest of winter wheat has been greatly affected by weather. But 
winter wheat, generating $112.1 million in sales last year, represents 
only the fourth largest field crop in Arkansas. Rice, soybeans, and 
cotton represent our top three field crops. During the time wheat is 
being harvested, these other crops are being planted. Thus, while wheat 
has been affected, soybeans, cotton, rice, and numerous other crops 
have been devasted just as they are being put into the ground. Fields 
are under water. Crops that were planted early have been wiped out. 
Over 1.3 million acres of farmland across Arkansas have been affected 
by the excessive rainfall. Many of these acres had to be replanted, and 
just as quickly as our farmers began to have hopes of a decent crop, 
those hopes were dashed by disasters beyond their control. As you and 
many of our colleagues know, this is the critical time for planting 
crops. The later crops get in the ground, the later they will be 
harvested. The later they are harvested, the greater the chance insect 
problems, weed problems, and a whole host of other problems will damage 
these crops become likely. Yields will be dangerously low. Our farmers 
cannot suffer this burden alone. Our farmers provide our citizens 
around the country with an abundant food supply, greater than any other 
country in the world. We have the safest, least expensive food in the 
world, because farm families who are suffering through excessively 
tough times now work from dawn to dusk in the fields to make sure that 
we do. As a country, and as a government, I hope that my colleagues 
will show these dedicated Americans the support they deserve. They need 
our help, and they have asked for our help. I consider this a matter of 
national and homeland security, and I hope that my colleagues will see 
it this way as well.
  This bill will provide farmers in disaster areas designated by the 
President who experience a thirty-five percent yield loss with disaster 
assistance. I would like to thank my colleague from my home state for 
her hard work and collaboration on this bill. I look forward to working 
with my colleagues to ensure our farmers get the support and help they 
need to keep America's food supply safe, inexpensive, and the best in 
the world.




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