Hurricane Victims Receive $2.8 Billion in Aid from USDA
Agricultural producers will receive $1.2 billion through various programs and $1.6 billion will restore homes and rural communities.
Compiled by staff
Published: Jan 27, 2006
USDA made another big commitment this week to helping producers of different crops and livestock recover from last fall's hurricane damages. USDA announced $2.8 billion in aid to assist victims of the 2005 hurricane season. Agricultural producers will receive $1.2 billion through various programs and $1.6 billion will restore homes and rural communities through grants and loans to restore water, electrical and telecommunications systems.
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns authorized the use of $250 million from Section 32 funds in October 2005 for crop disaster, livestock, tree and aquaculture assistance. These funds will be distributed by way of five new programs; the Tree Indemnity Program, the Hurricane Indemnity Program, the Livestock Indemnity Program, and the Feed Indemnity Program; and an Aquaculture Block Grant program.
Producers in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas counties declared primary presidential or secretarial disaster areas in 2005 because of hurricanes are eligible to apply for assistance under the new programs. A complete list of these counties is posted online at: www.usda.gov/HurricaneInfo.xml.
On Dec. 30, 2005, President Bush signed the 2006 Defense Appropriations Act, which provides $900 million to address natural disaster damages from 2005 hurricanes. Of these funds, approximately $200 million is designated for the Emergency Conservation Program, $400 million for the Emergency Forestry Conservation Reserve Program, and $300 million for the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (which is available to communities and landowners in Tennessee, in addition to those in the six previously mentioned states).
Sign-up dates for the new programs, as well as the Emergency Forestry Conservation Reserve Program, will be announced as soon as new regulations and software are developed. Eligible producers can apply now at any USDA Service Center for Emergency Conservation Program funds to remove hurricane debris from farmland. Emergency Watershed Protection Program funds for eligible projects are available today. Aquaculture grants will be awarded to states and application procedures will be established by Governors or their designees. Aquaculture producers not covered by other disaster programs will be eligible for these funds.
In addition to the funds for farmers and ranchers, the Defense Appropriations Act of 2006 contains $1.6 billion in Rural Development program assistance for the hurricane victims. Nearly $1.5 billion is allocated to provide housing funds under the agency's direct and guaranteed loan programs. Additionally, nearly $160 million will be dedicated to four areas; $54 million for housing repair loans and grants for very low-income applicants; $45 million in grants for hurricane damaged water and wastewater facilities; $50 million for telecommunications program assistance, and $8 million to restructure electrical loans in the hurricane-affected areas.
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