Spring Drought Outlook News Conference Remarks As Prepared for Delivery Release No. st04.00 by Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman Spring Drought Outlook News Conference March 13, 2000 "Thank you very much. To America's farmers and ranchers, weather forecasts are one of the most important pieces of information there is. So I'm pleased that USDA has built a strong partnership with the Commerce Department, NOAA and the Weather Service. Our joint efforts have been quite successful, and I look forward to maintaining that relationship in the future. "We saw last summer just what a drought can do to farmers. I saw it for myself up and down the east coast and mid-Atlantic brown fields of corn, shriveled tomatoes, livestock with insufficient feed. In response to these conditions, USDA made disaster designations that allowed farmers in about 60 percent of the nation's counties to receive emergency low-interest loans and other forms of assistance. "That other assistance includes compensation to farmers and ranchers for livestock death losses and grazing losses. Today, I'm announcing that those payments -- about $190 million worth -- are going out and will be received this week by nearly 215,000 people. We're also announcing a new Pasture Recovery Program, which will provide $40 million to help farmers and ranchers re-seed pastures that were damaged by the 1999 drought. "One thing that came out of last year's drought is that it focused the nation's attention on the significant farm population in the east coast and mid-Atlantic states. These farmers, despite their contribution, historically have not been able to participate widely in most farm programs. It's critical for the media, policymakers and all Americans to understand that agriculture isn't regional; it's a 50-state enterprise. I believe that understanding will help us to craft a more national farm policy, one that recognizes and supports the important agricultural work being done in all parts of the country...and one that's stronger because it enjoys a wider range of support. "Right now, drought persists in certain regions, the south and the Southern Plains for example. In Texas, two-thirds of the winter wheat crop was recently rated poor to very poor, in large part because of dry weather. Again, USDA has stepped in. Last month, we made disaster declarations affecting 40 counties in Texas and 20 in Kansas. And today, we're declaring an additional 10 Texas counties as disaster areas. Farmers in these counties and the counties they border will be eligible for assistance. -more- -2- "Generally speaking, across the south, spring planting season is ahead of schedule thanks to the dry, warm weather we've been having. It's too early to predict crop production with any degree of certainty. But we have to be alert to the possibility that, if dry conditions persist in certain parts of the country, there could be an agricultural impact. "There could also be an impact on our forests. And USDA, as the home of the Forest Service, has the primary federal role in wildfire fighting efforts. Already, we are mobilizing for what we expect will be a heavy year in wildland fires. In the east, "Hotshot" crews have been activated early this year and are already battling fires in Kentucky. Helicopters and air tankers have been deployed to southern states, and the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho has already extended its hours of operation. "Looking to the future, I believe we need to make some changes in the overall federal approach to drought response...to the point where "response" is no longer what it's all about. Emergency declarations certainly help plenty of people, but there has to be more to drought policy than ad hoc damage control. Too often we find ourselves scrambling to rescue people from a situation that has already spun out of control. But what we really need is to be ahead of the curve... prepared for dry weather before it comes...already equipped with the defense mechanisms that will protect farmers and prevent widespread losses. When it comes to drought, an ounce of prevention is worth at least a pound of cure. "That is the philosophy of the National Drought Policy Commission, which just last week released a draft of its report for public review and comment. The Commission, which I chair, has spent several months studying and gathering information from people and communities around the country. In the report, which will be delivered to the President and Congress later this spring, we conclude that preparedness has to be the cornerstone of national drought policy. We need more planning, better implementation of mitigation measures and improved drought education. As our report puts it, we need to move from "relief to readiness." "For farmers, that can mean anything from water-efficient irrigation practices to installation of livestock watering ponds. It also means improving our risk management programs, something that the President has made a priority. As part of his proposal to improve the farm safety net, he has requested a billion dollars in his 2001 budget to make crop insurance and other risk management tools more accessible and affordable. "Bad weather is more than a matter of discomfort or inconvenience. As Secretary Daley has told you, it has an economic impact across a broad range of industries. And for our farmers -- for the men and women who put food on our tables -- Mother Nature's whims can be the difference between profiting and perishing. More than any other vocation, farmers are at the mercy of forces completely beyond their control. We must have a drought policy that equips farmers with the tools they need to withstand drought -- not just to survive it -- so that they can continue to do the work that is so important to every single one of us. "Thank you." #