Georgia Public Broadcasting: No Disaster Aid For Peanut Farmers

By Josephine Bennett
Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Georgia peanut farmers are calling on the United States Department of Agriculture to include their crop in a disaster assistance proposal following flooding in 2009.

In late 2009 several Georgia counties experienced record-breaking rain. Fields became so muddy farmers could not harvest their crops. The result was poor quality commodities and reduced prices. The House and Senate failed to pass a bill extending aid to farmers, so the White House took over.

Now the USDA says peanuts are not eligible for disaster assistance, giving no explanation for the decision. Bob Redding represents the Georgia Peanut Commission in Washington.

“In the USDA disaster map that’s been made public related to this particular ad hoc disaster bill, all these peanut counties are covered or labeled a disaster by the secretary.”

Georgia Congressmen Sanford Bishop, John Barrow, and Jim Marshall have also requested the USDA include peanuts.