HYDE-SMITH WELCOMES START OF DISASTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR FARMERS & RANCHERS

HYDE-SMITH WELCOMES START OF DISASTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR FARMERS & RANCHERS

Senator Encourages Mississippi Producers Harmed by Disasters in 2023 & 2024 to Apply

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss) today welcomed the implementation of a U.S. Department of Agriculture program to begin distributing $16 billion in assistance to farmers and ranchers in Mississippi and around the nation who experienced losses in recent years due to natural disasters.

Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee and Senate Agriculture Committee, encouraged Mississippi producers to apply if they incurred weather-related losses in 2023 and 2024. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the launch of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) on Wednesday.

"I anticipate that a good number of producers in Mississippi will qualify for assistance because our state experienced multiple natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. They should actively look to determine whether they're eligible for help," Hyde-Smith said. "We fought hard to provide the USDA with these funds and I'm pleased the administration has worked diligently to get disaster relief out the door to the farmers and ranchers who need the aid to maintain their operations."

The USDA and Federal Emergency Management Agency have certified that Mississippi experienced multiple types of natural disasters in 2023 and 2024, including freezes, tornadoes, severe storms, flooding, high winds, and drought.

Last December, Hyde-Smith joined Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.) to fight for the approval of a supplemental appropriations package to alleviate the economic and natural disasters punishing the agricultural community. The result was an agreement to provide $10 billion for an Emergency Commodity Assistance Program and the $20 billion now being used to launch the SDRP.

For more information on SDRP eligibility and application information, click here.

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