Northern Plains farmers are still waiting for assistance from the $10 billion Congress approved for the Whip Plus Program. Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux says the first round of disaster aid payments for livestock producers who went through drought in 2020 and 2021 are on track to be distributed later this month. Phase one of the WHIP+ money will come later, likely in late April.
He says it hasn’t been as easy to expedite the $10 billion in disaster aid.
Ducheneaux says when building off of existing program participation for crops, there are a lot of complexities around some of the restrictions and requirements in the legislation. So they are trying to make sure they are as responsive and supportive as they can be to farmers.
Farmers are looking for more details because it has been five months since Congress approved $10 billion in disaster relief.
