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Micheal Clements, NAFB News Service

 

U.S. Senator Jon Tester says the Farm Service Agency has further delayed disaster assistance support for farmers who were hit by quality losses in 2018 and 2019. Despite the recent rollout of the Quality Loss Assistance Program, the Montana Democrat says some producers were left out of the assistance package. Tester says QLA does not provide adequate support for producers that sold grain as feed. Under existing QLA guidelines, producers must submit quality discount settlement documentation, which is not often issued for feed wheat. Without documentation, Tester says, “this means that the producers who need QLA the most are unable to make full use of this program.” The Department of Agriculture QLA program’s announcement earlier this month was meant to provide relief to producers who suffered crop quality losses in 2018 and 2019. It was created to supplement relief provided to farmers through the Wildfire, Hurricane, and Indemnity Program Plus. Tester urged the Farm Service Agency to correct the claimed errors.