Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is preparing to roll out Phase II of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP), which helps producers offset the impacts of weather disasters on agricultural operations which occurred in 2020 and 2021.
“The Emergency Relief Program provides meaningful relief to farmers and ranchers who suffered major disaster-related losses in 2020 and 2021 across North Dakota. I appreciate the work of Senator Hoeven in spearheading the creation of ERP, and thank the Department for heeding some of our previous concerns and improving the program since its initial release. I look forward to reviewing the forthcoming regulations to ensure producers are adequately covered for their losses. I encourage producers to gather the necessary paperwork now so they can work with the Farm Service Agency office when the process begins,” said Senator Cramer.
ERP Phase II will assist eligible agricultural producers who suffered eligible crop losses, measured through decreases in revenue, due to wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture and qualifying droughts occurring in calendar years 2020 and 2021. ERP Phase II includes producers who suffered eligible losses but may not have received program benefits in Phase I. To be eligible for Phase II, producers must have suffered a loss in allowable gross revenue as defined in forthcoming program regulations in 2020 or 2021 due to necessary expenses related to losses of eligible crops from a qualifying natural disaster event.
Over the summer, Senator Cramer called on USDA to improve disaster assistance programs for producers and address issues with the implementation of the ERP. He urged USDA to account for 2020 losses being attributed to 2019, expedite ERP assistance to producers who purchased increased crop insurance coverage, and to ensure producers who made farm equipment sales are not wrongly excluded from increased payment levels due to adjusted gross income limits. In response, USDA made some of the requested adjustments to disaster assistance for producers. Learn more here.
For more information on ERP eligibility applicants can visit FSA’s Emergency Relief webpage.