FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  May 9, 2007

Contact:  Sandy Courtnage

Montana Farmers Union Urges Producers to Take Action

Disaster Assistance Vote Set in U.S. House

GREAT FALLS, MT (May 9, 2007) – Montana Farmers Union is urging all producers to take action and contact Congressman Denny Rehberg and urge his support for agricultural disaster assistance.

“Now is the time to get the assistance to the countryside for ongoing natural disasters,” said Montana Farmers Union President Alan Merrill.

The House Appropriations committee yesterday announced a vote on emergency domestic supplemental funding, including agricultural disaster assistance, would occur this Friday, May 11. The package includes $3.5 billion in disaster assistance and a one month extension of the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program, among other provisions.

The disaster funding would assist producers who suffered crop and livestock losses from weather-related disasters during fiscal years 2005, 2006, and 2007. Eligible producers must select one year from which to receive the funding. Eligibility would be based on whether producers carried crop insurance during the selected year. The package provides assistance for farmers who lost 35 percent or more of their crop in one of the covered years and for livestock producers in counties that received a Secretarial or Agriculture Department disaster designation during the covered time.

Virtually every state across the country has suffered from significant weather related losses either in 2005, 2006 or 2007. Losses are a result of devastating hurricanes, fires, floods, frost/early-freezing, blizzards, severe drought and more.

Congressman Rehberg can be reached at his Washington, DC office at 202-225-3211.

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