It was ironic that the Water for Food Conference this week was held in a state that is still drowning in water from the disastrous weather events in March.

Nebraska Farm Bureau president Steve Nelson gave an update on the situation at the conference. He says damage is estimated at about $1.4 billion – including crop land and livestock losses at about $400 million. But that does not include many costs such as clearing land, “in some cases there’s sand and sediment washed up from the streams into farm fields that are in the one to five feet deep range.”

Nebraska Farm Bureau immediately set up a Disaster Relief Fund to provide emergency aid to farmers, ranchers, and rural communities and have helped many but in addition to the material losses, which in some cases are entire livelihoods, “there is a significant personal toll as well.”

Learn more in Nelson’s presentation “Nebraska Strong: Rebuilding after Historic Flood”
WFF19 Presentation by Steve Nelson, Nebraska Farm Bureau

More photos and audio from the conference can be found on AgNewsWire
2019 Water for Food Global Conference virtual newsroom