Utahns affected by drought can now get relief

The U.S. Senate on Monday passed a measure that would make Utah farmers and ranchers eligible to receive assistance for crop and grazing losses due to the historic drought that has affected the state.

"This relief package provides critical compensation to our farmers and ranchers for losses incurred by the six-year drought in our state," said U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. "All Utah producers with qualifying losses will receive assistance. This is certainly good news for our agriculture community."

The disaster relief package was included in the Military Construction Appropriations conference report, which on Saturday was approved by the House of Representatives.

The conference report now goes to the White House for presidential signature.

The package includes assistance for grazing, crop and tree losses caused by natural disasters, such as drought.

The Livestock Assistance Program provides direct payments to eligible livestock producers who suffered grazing losses due to natural disasters in either 2003 or 2004.

In order to qualify, counties must have received a primary disaster designation from the secretary of agriculture. Because all Utah counties received this designation in 2003, and nearly all counties in 2004, all Utah agriculture producers will be able to participate in the program. Individual producers will decide if they would like compensation for either their 2003 or 2004 losses, Bennett's office said.

Any producer who has suffered 35 percent or greater crop losses will qualify to receive a payment for the losses.

They will also be required to sign up for two years of crop insurance, if not currently participating, or participate in the noninsured crop disaster assistance program.

Orchardists who lost trees between Dec. 1, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2004, due to a natural disaster may qualify to receive a payment to offset replacement costs.

Producers interested in applying for assistance programs should contact their local USDA Service Center.