WASHINGTON, DC – Earlier today, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to consider a bipartisan disaster aid bill that will extend the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) and the On-Farm Storage Loss Program (OFSLP) for crop years 2020 and 2021, among other forms of assistance to farmers and ranchers.
The bill is favorable to rice farmers who have experienced losses due to natural disasters, which USA Rice advocated for, to include hurricanes, drought, flooding, and other blows dealt by mother nature. Overall, the bill will provide assistance to eligible producers based on actual losses. Key provisions can be found
here. For those farmers not as familiar with the WHIP+ program, visit
here.
It’s important to note that any forthcoming disaster assistance will likely have a long road ahead as Congress continues to negotiate these provisions. The version of the bill passed today also only authorizes funding, so funding will have to be appropriated by Congress in order to carry out this program.
As reported in the
USA Rice Daily, July 19, 2021, USA Rice Farmers sent letters to the leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees and Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees, as well as all Members of Congress who represent rice-producing districts and states regarding the need for disaster assistance.
“USA Rice is grateful for the leadership of Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Thompson, and all members of the House Agriculture Committee in recognizing the need for disaster aid for rice farmers affected by natural disasters last year and so far this year,” said Ben Mosely, USA Rice vice president of government affairs. “We support this effort to get assistance to those who need it most.”