The Nebraska and Wyoming Farm Bureau’s have been teaming up asking for federal assistance for farmers in both states negatively impacted by an irrigation tunnel collapse. 55,000 acres in Nebraska in Scottsbluff County are impacted with a total of 107,000 acres in both states by the collapse. Nebraska Farm Bureau President Steve Nelson says the loss of irrigation water is harming farmers in both states.
He says they’ve been asking RMA and USDA to provide crop insurance funding for those impacted by the collapse who have crop insurance policies.
Nelson says they’ve written to the RMA administrator and to USDA Undersecretary Bill Northey outlining their concerns and have gotten a reply.
Nelson says growers in the irrigation district have planted corn, dry edible beans, sugar beets and alfalfa hay. He says the estimated crop loss is around $89 million.
