Western South Dakota News

U.S. Senators John Thune and Ben Ray Luján have reintroduced the Livestock Disaster Assistance Improvement Act, a bipartisan effort aimed at enhancing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs for agricultural producers affected by adverse weather conditions. The legislation seeks to improve the effectiveness and timeliness of these programs, with a focus on increasing the accuracy of the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), which plays a critical role in triggering certain disaster assistance initiatives.

Senator Thune emphasized the importance of these updates for South Dakota's agricultural community, stating, “South Dakota farmers and ranchers are all too familiar with working through extreme weather conditions, especially drought. These common-sense updates to disaster programs would help provide greater and expedited assistance to producers when they need it the most.” He added that he is proud to lead this bipartisan initiative to enhance the Drought Monitor as a tool and ensure USDA programs use accurate data.

Similarly, Senator Luján highlighted the challenges faced by New Mexico's farmers due to extreme weather events such as droughts and wildfires. “Drought, wildfires, and extreme weather are making it harder for New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers to care for livestock, grow crops, and support our communities,” said Luján. As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, he expressed pride in reintroducing legislation designed to improve USDA program responsiveness and effectiveness in providing necessary relief.

The bill has garnered support from organizations such as the South Dakota Farm Bureau, South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, and American Honey Producers Association.

The proposed reforms under this legislation target several key USDA programs including:

- Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)

- Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP)

- Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP)

- Livestock Forage Program (LFP)