FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 30, 2021

Contact: Boozman, Patrick Creamer – patrick_creamer@ag.senate.gov
Cotton, James Arnold – james_arnold@cotton.senate.gov
Crawford, Sara Robertson- sara.robertson2@mail.house.gov
Hill, Dan Schneider – Dan.Schneider@mail.house.gov
Womack, Alexia Sikora – Alexia.Sikora@mail.house.gov
Westerman, Claire Nance, claire.nance@mail.house.gov

Arkansas Delegation Urges Support for USDA Secretarial Disaster Declaration for Counties Impacted by Storms 

WASHINGTON—Arkansas’s congressional delegation is voicing its support for the request for a Secretarial Disaster Designation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for 18 counties impacted by flooding, high winds, hail, tornadoes and other storm damage.

U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton—along with Congressmen Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman—wrote Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to join Governor Asa Hutchinson’s support of the Arkansas USDA Farm Service Agency’s request for Secretarial Disaster Designation.  

“Agriculture is vital to the state, and losses our producers have endured will cause significant economic impacts. Since April 1, 2021, the flooding and other storms have either damaged or prevented the planting of row crops such as rice, soybeans, cotton, corn, and wheat; as well as certain fruit and vegetable crops,” members wrote in the letter. “We join Governor Asa Hutchinson in supporting the Arkansas USDA Farm Service Agency’s request for Secretarial Disaster Designation, submitted on June 25, 2021; and we ask that you declare the following counties as agriculture-related disaster areas.”

The following is the full text of the delegation’s letter of support:

Dear Mr. Secretary:

As you are well aware, farmers and agricultural businesses across this nation have been hurt by recent natural disasters. In Arkansas, our farmers have experienced flooding, high winds, hail, tornadoes, and other storm damage resulting in thousands of acres of lost crops, necessitating replanting, which will likely result in smaller harvests and more expenses—a hit to revenue that Arkansas agriculture cannot afford.

Agriculture is vital to the state, and losses our producers have endured will cause significant economic impacts. Since April 1, 2021, the flooding and other storms have either damaged or prevented the planting of row crops such as rice, soybeans, cotton, corn, and wheat; as well as certain fruit and vegetable crops.

We join Governor Asa Hutchinson in supporting the Arkansas USDA Farm Service Agency’s request for Secretarial Disaster Designation, submitted on June 25, 2021; and we ask that you declare the following counties as agriculture-related disaster areas: Arkansas, Benton, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Desha, Drew, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Lonoke, Monroe, Phillips, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, White and Yell.

Due to the time sensitivity of this matter, we thank you for your consideration of this request for a Secretarial Disaster Designation, and we hope that you will support Arkansas farmers and agricultural businesses during this difficult time. Thank you.