CRAWDAD Act Crawfish Recovery Assistance from Weather Disasters And Droughts Act
Impact
The legislation seeks to improve the documentation and data collection standards related to agricultural losses due to drought. Specific language is included to define loss conditions and establish guidelines on how loss data should be gathered and assessed. This could alleviate the financial impacts on farmers and producers who depend on crawfish harvesting and livestock, thus ensuring better recovery options in the face of severe weather events. Such enhancements would aim to bolster the resilience of affected agricultural sectors in the state.
Summary
SB3836, officially titled the 'Crawfish Recovery Assistance from Weather Disasters And Droughts Act' or 'CRAWDAD Act', aims to enhance the disaster assistance programs of the Department of Agriculture specifically focusing on agriculture affected by drought conditions. The bill introduces amendments to the Agricultural Act of 2014 to include provisions for assistance to livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish. Notably, the bill adds specific references to adverse weather and drought impacts on the production of crawfish, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions for this sector.
Contention
While the bill seeks to address immediate recovery needs of agricultural stakeholders, there may be concerns regarding the adequacy of funding and the effectiveness of implementation. Stakeholders might debate the criteria set for eligibility and the distribution of funds, as well as how these changes align with existing agricultural policies. The discussions surrounding SB3836 may also touch upon the balance between providing necessary assistance and ensuring that the programs are sustainable in the long term.
Drought Assistance Improvement ActThis bill modifies access to two Farm Service Agency (FSA) administered programs: the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP).The bill modifies the LFP to allow for one monthly payment when a county has four consecutive weeks of a D2 rating (severe drought) and two payments for eight consecutive weeks of D2. Currently, one payment is available for eight consecutive weeks of D2. As background, LFP makes payments to eligible livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses on drought-affected pastureland, including cropland planted specifically for grazing.The bill also expands coverage under ELAP for losses caused by adverse weather or drought. The bill includes under ELAP the loss of a crawfish harvest due to adverse weather or drought. As background, ELAP provides payments to producers of livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish as compensation for losses due to disease, adverse weather, feed or water shortages, or other conditions that are not covered under other programs.The FSA must establish ELAP documentation standards for (1) collecting data, (2) the production of crawfish, and (3) defining loss conditions due to drought.
Emergency and Disaster Preparedness for Farm Animals Act This bill requires producers to develop disaster preparedness plans that include adverse weather plans to be eligible for livestock indemnity payments and emergency loans due to adverse weather under certain agricultural disaster assistance programs.