In a release by the American Soybean Association and published in the Delta Farm Press, the organization is hoping to assist farmers during this year’s difficult harvest. With floods, hurricanes, natural disasters and excessive rains, there are far too many fields these days with ruts in them as farmers try to harvest despite the moisture. My thoughts and prayers are with all of the crop farmers who are trying to get harvest done.

The American Soybean Association is urging Congress to provide funding to deliver much-needed financial assistance to farmers and rural communities to assist them in recovering from devastating losses caused by hurricanes, excessive rain during harvest and other natural disasters across the country, including catastrophic weather-related losses in the Mid-South and neighboring states.

“Soybeans, rice, cotton, peanuts, sweet potatoes and other crops and segments of the agricultural economy currently are experiencing devastating weather-related losses,” said Johnny Dodson, ASA president and soybean producer from Halls, Tenn. “In some cases, the 2009 losses follow on the heels of similar losses in 2008.”

Although loss estimates are preliminary, they have already reached the hundreds of millions of dollars. Many producers need assistance within weeks to repay loans and secure new financing in time for spring planting, so prompt action on this measure is vitally important. Alternative means of providing assistance cannot be delivered before late 2010 or early 2011.

Source: Delta Farm Press