October 1, 2004
ACTION ALERT
IMMEDIATE ATTENTION NEEDED
TO: All Florida Beef Cattle Producers
From: Jim Handley, Florida Cattlemen's Association FBCFCAJimHandley@aol.com
RE: Contact Congressmen about Industry Hurricane Relief
When: Today As Soon As Possible by Monday October 4, 2004
What: Ask for Support of Supplemental Appropriation for Hurricane Damage for Beef Cattle Producers in Florida
As of now we have yet to get any funds for Hurricane losses for our industry, Congress is working on a Supplemental Appropriation that will be voted on early next week. We need to be sure funding is included for Florida Beef producers suffering Hurricane damage and losses.
PLEASE CALL your Representatives in Congress and ask their support ASAP
There are three programs that are administered by the USDA/ Farm Service Agency (FSA) that are appropriate for the types of losses we have experienced and are going to have in months ahead.
These programs are:
(LAP) Livestock Assistance Program provides direct payments to eligible livestock producers who suffered grazing losses due to natural disasters.
(LCP Livestock Compensation Program provides livestock producers compensation for feed and pasture losses with the payments made on a per head basis.
(ECP) Emergency Conservation Program provides funds to ranchers for sharing the cost of rehabilitating farmland damaged by natural disaster and for carrying out water conservation measures during severe drought. Cost sharing may be offered for such measures as debris removal, leveling or grading farmland, restoring permanent livestock fences, structures and other installations.
$213 million is the Conservative Estimate of Hurricane losses to Florida Ranchers that has been submitted to Congress
Types of losses Include:
-Downed trees on fences and farm structures
-Debris in ditches and water runoff areas blocking culverts
-Fences and cow pen structure down & destroyed
-Roadways & culverts washed out
-Loss of forages grazing lands underwater and hay crops damaged
-Pastureland under water
-Losses in cattle weight due to water & mosquitoes
-Livestock markets damaged & closed due to hurricane weather producers cannot sell
-Wintering feed and hay being used now will be none for winter
-Cow condition declining because of poor quality forage will not be productive
Florida Congressional Delegation
DC Office District Office
Michael Bilirakis 202-2255755 727-773-2871
Allen Boyd 202-225-5235 850-561-3979
Corrine Brown 202-225-0123 904-354-1652
Ginny Brown Waite 202-225-1002 352-799-8354
Ander Crenshaw 202-225-2501 904-598-0481
Jim Davis 202-225-3376 813-354-9217
Peter Deutsch 202-225-7931 954-437-3936
Lincoln Diaz-Balart 202-225-4211 305-470-8555
Mario Diaz-Balart 202-225-2778 305-225-6866
Tom Feeney 202-225-2706 407-208-1106
Mark Foley 202-225-5792 561-627-9100
Porter Goss 202-225-2536 239-332-4677
Katherine Harris 202-225-5015 800-453-4184
Alcee Hastings 202-225-1313 954-733-2800
Ric Keller 202-225-2176 407-872-1962
Kendrick Meek 202-225-4506 954-450-6767
John Mica 202-225-4035 407-657-8080
Jeff Miller 202-225-4136 850-479-1183
Adam Putnam 202-225-1252 863-534-3530
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen 202-225-3931 305-275-1800
Clay Shaw 202-225-3026 954-522-1800
Cliff Sterns 202-225-5744 352-351-8777
Dave Weldon 202-225-3671 321-632-1776
Robert Wexler 202-225-3001 561-988-6302
C.W. Bill Young 202-225-5961 727-893-3191