ND Department of Agriculture Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 10, 2008

JOHNSON SAYS PROPOSED PROGRAM DELETION ‘DISAPPOINTING NEWS’

BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson said a proposal in the U.S. House of Representatives to delete a standing disaster program from the Farm Bill is “disappointing news for North Dakota producers.”

“Proposed loan rates and target prices have become much less valuable as a safety net because of the unexpected steep rise in commodity prices and, more importantly, farm input costs,” Johnson said Thursday.  “Without a standing disaster program to help with weather-related production losses, producers will be facing a woefully inadequate safety net in times of low prices and production problems.”

Johnson said support for the disaster program is very strong in North Dakota. The program also has the unanimous support of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA). Johnson is president of NASDA.

He thanked the North Dakota delegation for its efforts to keep the standing disaster program a priority during the difficult Farm Bill negotiations.

“I know you are doing everything possible to assure this Farm Bill is as meaningful as possible for, not only North Dakota producers but for producers across the country,” Johnson, in a letter, told U.S. Sens. Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan and U.S. Rep. Earl Pomeroy. “I hope you are successful in persuading your colleagues of the importance of keeping the standing disaster program an essential component of this Farm Bill.”

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MEDIA: For more information, please call Ted Quanrud at (701) 328-2233 or tquanrud@nd.gov or Patrice Lahlum at (701) 239-7210 or plahlum@nd.gov.