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S.D. counties not eligible for dry milk aid
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)--South Dakota's U.S. senators are crying foul that the state was left out of a federal drought relief program, but the state's top agriculture official said the help wasn't expected and wouldn't have made much difference.
Under a U.S. Department of Agriculture program announced by Secretary Ann Veneman on July 16, farmers in qualifying counties can receive nonfat dry milk feed from the USDA to help nourish their livestock.
State Agriculture Secretary Larry Gabriel said that although 12 South Dakota counties received the aid in 2003, improved conditions made it clear that none would qualify this year.
Most ranchers are more concerned about the lack of livestock water, Gabriel said, and dry milk wouldn't affect a producer's decision about whether to keep their cows or sell them.
"It's appreciated, but it's not that substantive," he said July 16.
Criteria for the federal aid program is based on the U.S. Drought Monitor in Lincoln, Neb.
In order to qualify, at least part of a county would have had to be in the "D4-Exceptional" category in the June 15 report, or in the "D3-Extreme" category on June 15 and have fallen into "D4-Exceptional" during the previous six months.
No South Dakota counties met that criteria.
Sen. Tom Daschle said July 16 that the USDA's methods fail to consider that South Dakota farmers have been dealing with dry conditions for years.
"They ought to take into account how long some states have been confronting the drought, not just what the severity is right now," said Daschle, D-S.D. "I think the duration of time, in addition to the severity, should have been counted."
Daschle said the Bush administration has been insensitive and unwilling to address the serious problems facing farmers and ranchers.
"This is too little in so many cases," he said. "It's of some help, but it doesn't go anywhere near to the level of help that I think drought-stricken ranchers and farmers ought to have."
Sen. Tim Johnson, in a statement sent July 16, said the USDA has been evasive in its drought relief efforts. He said the slight to South Dakota "smells of politics."
"If this is Secretary Veneman's way of declining our invitation to visit South Dakota, I'd have preferred a simple, 'no thanks'," said Johnson, D-S.D.
A spokesman for Daschle's opponent in the November election said he found the senators' complaints "ironic."
"It is interesting that both Johnson and Daschle are piling on this dried milk situation, because they disparaged the program two years ago," said Dick Wadhams, campaign manager for Republican John Thune.
This is the second year of the USDA program.
Counties that received dry milk aid in 2003 are Bennett, Custer, Fall River, Haakon, Jackson, Meade, Mellette, Pennington, Perkins, Shannon, Todd and Ziebach.
Gabriel said there are some areas of southwest South Dakota that are dealing with dry conditions, "but they're not nearly as bad as they were in 2002."
Date: 7/21/04
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