WASHINGTON D.C. — Earlier this week, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that $340.6 million in disaster assistance is available to help farmers and rural communities affected by natural disasters.
The American Soybean Association is pleased that the funding has become available and applauds the administration for following through on its promise to help the many farmers and others who’ve been in need following extraordinary circumstances. “We appreciate the administration for seeing these devastating circumstances and coming to the aid of farmers and rural communities,” says Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association and a soy farmer from Kentucky. “When natural disasters strike, we have very little recourse to protect our livelihoods.”
He also says this funding will help many people who are trying to rebuild their homes and businesses and hopefully restore some normalcy after enduring hurricanes, floods, and fires and the outcomes of these disasters. ASA thanks the USDA for its Rural Development Disaster Assistance Package.
Secretary Rollins made the announcement in North Dakota, where USDA is allocating over $5 million to help repair electric infrastructure damaged by severe storms and wildfires. USDA will also provide $25 million to North Carolina and $18 million to Tennessee to aid communities impacted by hurricanes since 2022. The aid also includes the following:
- $5.8 million for economic development for enterprises and farm producers
- $15.6 million to rebuild rural infrastructure
- $20 million for safe drinking water, waste disposal, and electric infrastructure restoration
- $2 million for technical assistance to towns seeking aid
