On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) spoke about the difficulties Indiana farmers are facing this planting season and urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to act quickly to finalize guidance to apply for payments for crop and livestock losses in 2018 and 2019 due to severe weather.
Young
“This is a difficult time right now for a lot of our nation’s farmers, particularly those who hail from my home state of Indiana. Adverse weather conditions have complicated the planting season. In fact, so many Hoosier farmers can’t get their crops into the ground. As of last week, only 31 percent of corn crop was able to find its way into the ground as compared to 67 percent nationally,” said Young.
The U.S. Senate and House recently passed a disaster bill, which was signed into law by President Trump last week. The disaster aid package includes $3 billion for agriculture programs and includes provisions specifically related to livestock and crop losses. Farm country is waiting for clarification from USDA on the application process and eligibility requirements as farmers make tough decisions about planting this season.
Click here to watch Senator Young’s full remarks regarding Indiana’s crop progress.