By Oregon Farm Bureau
SALEM, OREGON, Dec. 13, 2021: The Oregon Farm Bureau today helped secure over $75 million in disaster aid from the Oregon Legislature to help producers who were impacted by the 2021 natural disasters. The funding includes $40 million in a direct assistance program for producers who experienced less than average farm income in 2021 due to natural disasters, nearly $14 million for irrigation districts impacted by drought, millions in domestic well assistance, and millions for drought resiliency. The program also includes $5 million for grasshopper and cricket eradication. The $40 million direct assistance program is structured as a forgivable loan, which will be forgiven if a producer’s revenue losses are demonstrated at the close of the year. The program will work through local lending institutions, so stay tuned for information on how to apply.
“The Oregon Farm Bureau and our partners have been working toward this package since early this summer, and we are grateful that the Legislature was able to secure its passage today,” said Mary Anne Cooper, VP of Government Affairs at the Oregon Farm Bureau. “Relief to producers impacted by this year’s natural disasters cannot come soon enough, and we look forward to working with the Oregon Department of Agriculture to get the direct assistance program up and running. We particularly want to thank the Governor for her diligent pursuit of this natural disaster package, and our advocates in the Legislature for being such strong advocates for its passage. We also want to thank the producers who wrote their legislators, advocated at the legislative hearings, and had their legislators out to see the damage natural disasters have had on their operations. This package would not have happened without their strong advocacy.”
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