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Florida NRCS Features
SECRETARY VENEMAN TOURS AGRICULTURE AREAS
HIT BY HURRICANE CHARLEY; USDA PROVIDES WIDE RANGING ASSISTANCE
![Secretary Veneman Tours Area.](/peth04/20041015023913im_/http://www.fl.nrcs.usda.gov/features/images/barge.jpg)
WAUCHULA, Fla., Aug. 23, 2004 –
Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today surveyed damage in the agricultural
areas in Florida hardest hit by Hurricane Charley and outlined actions being
taken by USDA agencies to provide immediate assistance. Veneman was accompanied
by Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson during visits to several sites
illustrating the widespread damage suffered by one of the State’s major
industries. She also announced the availability of $5 million in additional
USDA funds to purchase baby foods and formula, and other food commodities to
meet the continuing needs of hurricane victims.
![](/peth04/20041015023913im_/http://www.fl.nrcs.usda.gov/features/images/grove.jpg)
“We are working aggressively to meet
the President’s directive to provide all available resources to assist Florida’s
recovery from Hurricane Charley. The $5 million will be used to purchase at
least a 10-day supply of food for 6,000 infants and other foods to meet victim’s
needs,” Veneman said. “All USDA employees are hard at work in the many recovery
efforts now underway. We are trying to provide immediate assistance where most
needed and then to fully and accurately assess the damage caused by the storm,
which likely will take several weeks.”
President
Bush has designated 25 Florida counties as disaster areas, making those and 20
contiguous counties eligible for assistance from USDA. Thirteen counties
incurred the most substantial agricultural losses – for citrus, citrus trees,
nursery, vegetables and other crops. Losses also extend to grass, dairy,
timber, blueberries, seed and hay, clam ponds and beehives. In addition, miles
of fences are down, and damage includes fallen trees, debris in fields, washed
out and blocked culverts and standing water, all of which will interfere with
agricultural operations.
USDA continues to provide food and
logistical assistance to residents of Florida and is helping to coordinate
recovery assistance to producers and consumers.
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USDA assistance includes
418,000 pounds of food commodities provided through USDA’s Food and Nutrition
Service for distribution in the affected area. The donated food includes
fruits, vegetables, meat, grain products, peanut butter and dairy products.
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For infants, 480,000 bottles of
ready-to-feed formula, 150,000 jars of baby food and 7,000 boxes of rice cereal
have been provided to date, in addition to the new funding for at least a 10-day
supply of baby foods and formula for 6,000 infants.
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Over $23.7 million dollars in
replacement food stamp benefits have been issued to 135,000 families.
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To ensure school meals can be
provided as soon as schools open, waivers have been granted to allow free meal
service regardless of eligibility for 45 days after classes resume.
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Forty seven USDA-sponsored
multi-family housing units have been damaged, displacing 288 families. USDA has
made 142 vacant housing units available and is helping families contact property
managers directly for additional units. Several single-family customers also
were affected and USDA is working with them to help ensure continued ability to
meet mortgage payments. USDA’s Rural Development also is helping housing
customers file timely insurance claims.
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A USDA Forest Service incident
management team is on the ground helping manage a Federal Emergency Management
Agency mobilization center and employees are helping staff several base camps
and a disaster field office. Forest Service assistance includes shower units
and meals for 500 people.
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USDA’s Agricultural Marketing
Service (AMS) has doubled the number of inspectors at the juice plant in Arcadia
which lost electric power to ensure that products can be shipped to other
locations minimizing any economic losses. AMS also is assisting with cleanup
and business-restoration efforts at plants forced to shut down.
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USDA’s Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) personnel are working closely with state and industry
officials to monitor potential livestock and plant disease conditions to help
avoid potential outbreaks. APHIS also will be monitoring citrus canker for
potential spread.
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USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection
Service has provided information to help keep food safe during power outages.
It is available at local Red Cross and FEMA sites and also may be accessed at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/NR_081204_01/index.asp or by
calling the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline
(1-888-674-6854); for the hearing-impaired (TTY) 1-800-256-7072.
USDA’s
State Emergency Board is continuing to gather agricultural damage information.
State emergency boards, composed of local representatives from 10 USDA agencies,
are responsible for assessing disaster-related agricultural damage. More
refined Disaster Assessment Reports are currently being prepared to improve the
accuracy and comprehensiveness of the data and loss estimates.
USDA statistics indicate that the region of Florida that lay in Hurricane
Charley’s path accounts for about one-third of the state’s citrus industry,
one-third of the nursery industry and more than 60 percent of the cattle
industry.
- USDA’s Farm Service Agency personnel are in the field now accepting
applications for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP),
Emergency Loan Assistance (EM), and the Emergency Conservation Program. NAP
can provide financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops;
low-interest loans are available to producers in counties designated as
primary disaster areas as well as in contiguous counties; and ECP helps with
technical assistance to rehabilitate damaged farmland.
- USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has made $500,000 in
Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) funds available along with $100,000 in
Technical Assistance in the affected area. EWP funding is available to help
with such things as debris removal from stream channels and reshaping and
protecting eroded stream banks.
- For those commodities and crops covered by crop insurance, USDA’s Risk
Management Agency is working with adjusters to expedite claims processing.
Some $1.4 billion in federal crop insurance is in force in the affected
counties. For specific claims information, farmers should contact their crop
insurance agents.
Farmers are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center for
additional information on assistance available. Disaster assistance information
also is available at
http://disaster.usda.gov.
For More Information
Visit Emergency Watershed Protection
Program - Hurricane Charley
Florida Program Contact
Bob Stobaugh, Public Affairs
Specialist, (352) 338-9565 | |
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