The Sweetwater farmer said Texas will not receive the disaster assistance unless Congress passes legislation to change the 1996 federal farm law.
Weather forecasters see no relief in sight.
The farm leader said the USDA is doing all it can within current laws to help farmers. It is Congress, not Agriculture Secretary Glickman, that is responsible for the lack of disaster assistance in our state. Sims said when Congress passed the 1996 farm law, it eliminated important disaster relief programs and capped the marketing loan rate at 1995 levels. Because caps were placed on the marketing loans in the FAIR act, the loan face is 59 cents lower for a bushel of wheat. It is 32 cents lower for a bushel of corn.