News

Perdue says farmers need disaster aid for stored grains

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue told the House Appropriations Subcommittee USDA cannot use existing programs to cover losses to stored grain caused by flooding. “This is an area that is not legally or statutorially approved under out safety net provisions currently.”

Perdue told the committee stored grain losses is one reason farmers need Congress to step up with disaster funding.

When asked how many farmers have private insurance to cover grain in storage bins, Perdue told the subcommittee very, very few. “Commercial operations, elevators have that kind of stock coverage for their operations but typically, producers once it’s out of the field and crop insurance is no longer a factor, most of them do not cover the stock within their bins.”

Perdue also received criticism from House committee members about the proposed changes to the SNAP program and the proposed relocation of the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to the Midwest.