Farmers and ranchers would be eligible for $10 billion in disaster relief for losses in 2020 and this year under the short-term government funding bill passed by Congress on Thursday. The bill also extended the life of a livestock price-reporting bill until Dec. 3, giving lawmakers time to agree on a multiyear reauthorization. President Biden signed the bill on Thursday night.
“All over this country, we are experiencing the difficulty” of natural disasters, said House Appropriations chairwoman Rosa DeLauro, shortly before the House passed the bill, 254-175. “We’ve got $10 billion to cover the losses” in agriculture out of $28.6 billion in disaster relief nationwide.
Agricultural assistance would include wine grapes tainted by smoke from wildfires along with losses caused by drought, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat and extreme cold, winter storms including the polar vortex, and damaging precipitation.
“Some California winemakers didn’t make a 2020 vintage after their crops were burned or tainted by smoke, and similar problems are expected because of this year’s fires,” reported the Los Angeles Times. “Grapes are damaged when volatile phenols released by burning wood are absorbed at higher-than-usual levels and the flavor is affected.” Smoke damage has hit wineries in California, Oregon, and Washington State since 2017.
The bill directed $750 million to livestock producers for losses this year from drought or wildfires.