Several California Democrats are working to rally bipartisan support for a disaster recovery package to assist the agricultural sector. Multiple storms have caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to farms and ranches. A delegation of four members of Congress sent a letter calling for support in bringing legislation to the U.S. House of Representatives to aid in helping agricultural communities recover.
“While some fields had not yet been planted, saving them from losing an entire crop, that was not the case for many,” the letter states. “Fields flooded, lost precious topsoil, are covered in debris or were entirely washed away. Many growers will not have their fields ready to go for the traditional planting season and will need to push their timeline. Some fields are so saturated with water that they will not be dry enough to plant at all this year, reducing the number of acres planted. This combination of damages will make recovery that much more difficult.”
Signatories of the letter include Representatives Jimmy Panetta, Salud Carbajal, Jim Costa, and Zoe Lofgren. The lawmakers note that the Farm Service Agency has received more than 900 requests for assistance from five counties alone. Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties represent roughly two-thirds of that total. The coalition also highlighted Tulare County damage estimates as being $113 million due to storms and subsequent flooding.
The request for a disaster recovery package was addressed to Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, as well as House Appropriations Committee chairwoman Kay Granger and ranking member Rosa DeLauro. The coalition notes that swift action is needed to provide California’s agricultural industry with support for a timely recovery.
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