A group of Senators led by John Thune and Tim Johnson of South Dakota have written Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack asking him to expedite implementation of livestock disaster payments contained in the recently passed farm bill.  South Dakota Stock Grower’s Executive Director Silvia Christen says those funds are critical for producers hit by the October blizzard.

Christen says her group has been working with Thune on the livestock disaster program during the farm bill discussions and were able to improve that program with some tweaks.

Christen says Vilsack has in the past been sympathetic to their cause and is hoping he’ll follow through with quick implementation of the payments.