Fedorchak calls on USDA to give North Dakota producers more flexibility amid drought

Dickinson, ND - Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) today called on U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to provide North Dakota farmers and ranchers greater flexibility to respond to drought conditions, following an agriculture roundtable with producers and state leaders at Kuhn Farms near Dickinson.

During the roundtable, producers raised concerns about federal emergency haying rules and the need for USDA programs to better reflect conditions on the ground. Fedorchak is calling on USDA to extend the timeframe for removing hay bales from 15 days to 30 days and give local Farm Service Agency (FSA) leadership greater authority to determine the appropriate timing for haying based on local conditions.

"North Dakota agriculture is resilient, but our farmers and ranchers are getting squeezed from multiple directions. When drought puts pressure on forage supplies, they need commonsense flexibility to respond to the conditions they see every day-not arbitrary federal dates and deadlines," Fedorchak said. "Some producers are describing this as the worst drought they've ever experienced. I'm calling on Secretary Rollins give producers 30 days to remove hay bales and empower our local FSA leaders to determine the right timing based on conditions on the ground. Additionally, I'll continue working with my colleagues in Congress to strengthen the farm safety net, expand markets , and give our producers the tools they need to succeed and maintain the national food security Americans expect."

The drought concerns were part of a broader discussion about the challenges facing western North Dakota agriculture, including low commodity prices, high input and equipment costs, interest rates, transportation, market access, labor and tightening producer margins.

Producers also discussed crop insurance, reference prices, disaster assistance, farm credit, livestock programs and opportunities to expand value-added agriculture and create stronger local markets for North Dakota commodities.

Fedorchak highlighted recent improvements to the farm safety net in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, including higher reference prices and improvements to crop insurance. The law also made changes affecting base acres, farm-program eligibility, and disaster assistance.

Those changes come as Congress continues work on a new five-year Farm Bill. Fedorchak voted for the Farm Bill and year-round E15, both of which passed the House and are pending action by the Senate.

The roundtable brought together farmers, ranchers, agricultural businesses and state lawmakers to discuss both immediate challenges and the long-term future of agriculture in western North Dakota. Participants included members of the Kuhn family, state legislators, Southwest Grain, Yellowstone River Beef, GEVO and area agricultural producers.