North Dakota producers lead the nation in payments received through the 2008 Supplemental Revenue Assistance (SURE) Program, which covers losses due to natural disasters. Over $245 million in payments were made by USDA’s Farm Service Agency through the SURE Program during the recently ended fiscal year, more than one-third of which was funded through the 2008 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.
“You never want to be at the top of the list of states that were hit by disasters,” said Aaron Krauter, State Executive Director for Farm Service Agency in North Dakota, “but that just highlights how important permanent disaster programs like SURE are to farmers.” The Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program is one of several permanent disaster provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill, and additional funding for the program was provided through the 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. Krauter added, “The SURE Program is a good example of a safety net program that’s there to get help to those who need it, and adding an additional $89 million in stimulus funding really provided a way to make that safety net just that much stronger for our farmers.”
Payments were made to producers who saw reduced farm revenue due to severe drought in the western part of the state coupled with excessively wet harvest conditions in the east.
Source: USDA Farm Service Agency
Posted by Haylie Shipp
