Cramer: Money approved to help farmers hurt by disasters

Federal help is on the way for farmers whose crops were damaged by extreme weather this year, but the assistance could be too late for some.

U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Ala., announced that Congress has approved spending $600 million to help farmers who were hurt by natural disasters in 2005, 2006 or 2007. The money is in addition to $3 billion President Bush signed into law in May to help farmers and ranchers throughout the nation whose crops or animals were harmed by bad weather in 2005, 2006 and the first two months of 2007.

In his announcement that the program has been extended to include all of 2007, Cramer said more money is needed to help farmers affected by drought, floods, freezing, wind and other weather woes. He said the need is especially great in the Tennessee Valley where many farm fields were parched by record-setting heat and dry weather this year.

"Most of north Alabama continues to suffer through one of the worst droughts in our history," Cramer said in a prepared statement. "Unfortunately, this year's drought comes on the heels of crop losses resulting from hurricanes and a late season freeze. While I am pleased that we were able to extend federal relief efforts, more must be done to help Alabama farmers."

Jeff Helms, spokesman for the Montgomery-based Alabama Farmers Federation, said the additional money will help, but more is needed to help farmers who are reeling from three years of crop losses caused by bad weather.

"We were pleased to see Congress do something, but it's not exactly what we had hoped for," Helms said. "We had hoped for a drought program specific to the South."

While farmers in some parts of the nation reaped high yields from their fields, crops throughout the Southeast were damaged by a prolonged drought this year, Helms said. Rainfall in some parts of the South is more than 2 feet below normal. An April freeze also damaged many Alabama fields, he said.

Helms said Alabama Farmers Federation officials had hoped Congress would remove language in the legislation authorizing the farm aid that requires farmers to select their worst year from 2005, 2006 and 2007 to seek disaster assistance. He said farmers will be able to seek federal help for only one year even if they suffered heavy losses all three.

Helms said the losses for many farmers exceed what their crop insurance will cover and they need the federal aid to remain in business.

"We appreciate the support of Alabama's congressional delegation," Helms said. "We understand they did all they could given the political climate in Washington, but we would liked to have seen a stand-alone disaster program for 2007."

Cramer spokesman Adam Muhlendorf said Cramer will continue to seek aid for Alabama's farmers hurt by bad weather this year. "The congressman has been waist deep in this issue and trying to secure more funding for it."

Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@timesdaily.com.