The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is working to assist farmers facing natural disasters, particularly in the Southeast and California. In an interview with AgNet Media, Administrator Zach Ducheneaux highlighted the agency’s efforts to provide relief to producers who have suffered devastating losses due to recent hurricanes in the southeast and the extremes of flooding and drought in California.
Ducheneaux acknowledged the challenges ahead, especially for farmers whose high-value crops, like almond and pecan trees, require years to recover after a disaster. “Our safety net programs are really good at helping folks get to the next year’s production,” he said, “but we’ve got a tremendous gap where it takes several years to rebuild that high-value production.”
To improve services, the FSA is encouraging producers to stay in contact with their local offices and use tools like farmers.gov for updates. The agency is also working to enhance financial programs, aiming to help farmers build working capital instead of relying heavily on loans year after year.
While Ducheneaux expressed optimism about bridging gaps between urban and rural communities, he emphasized the need for consistent federal funding and support for staff, particularly as Congress negotiates the next Farm Bill.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour and The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.