Senators introduce extension of ag disaster assistance programs

Washington, D.C. - Senators Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) introduced legislation recently to extend agriculture disaster assistance programs that expired at the end of the 2011 Fiscal Year and were not part of the nine month Farm Bill extension. The bill would backfill the programs for 2012 and extend them through 2013 while Congress works to pass a long-term Farm Bill. Without an extension many ranchers and farmers will be left with no support to recover from severe fires and drought that swept the country last year as well as early freezes for fruit growers.

February 1, 2013