August 27, 2004
Statement by Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman
Regarding President Bush’s Directive to Assist Victims of Hurricane Charley
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"Today, President Bush has instructed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use existing authorities and resources to assist growers impacted by Hurricane Charley in their cleanup efforts and to compensate them for lost crops and trees.
"USDA will move quickly to comply with the President’s direction. I have directed the Farm Service Agency to work with Florida state and local offices to deliver the assistance in a timely manner. Details will be available next week at USDA Service Centers.
"In the meantime, USDA will continue providing existing programs to Hurricane victims including emergency loan assistance, the Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, expedited claims assistance for crops and commodities covered by crop insurance, food commodities and other nutritional assistance, including $5 million in special funds provided for baby food and formula, more than $23.7 million dollars in replacement Food Stamp benefits issued to 135,000 families and housing assistance for families displaced from USDA-sponsored housing, which is especially significant among farm-worker populations."
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