Aiken County farmers could be eligible for new aid through proposed bill

Dec. 24--Aiken County farmers could be eligible for state relief soon, according to S.C. Rep. Bill Taylor, R-Aiken.

S.C. House Ways and Means Chairman Brian White, R-Anderson, announced Monday plans to introduce the first of several legislative responses to the catastrophic flooding the state experienced this October.

The Palmetto Farm Aid bill could provide some much-needed help for area farmers affected by the devastating floods of Oct. 2 through 5.

The House Ways and Means Committee and its subcommittees have been holding hearings for two months to understand the impacts of the flood, according to a press release from Daniel Boan, budget director and general counsel for the Ways and Means Committee.

One of the most devastating economic impacts has been to South Carolina's agriculture industry, which sustained direct crop loss of more than $375 million in the same year that two-thirds of the state experienced moderate or serious drought, according to the release.

According to Taylor, the proposed bill could mean good news for some Aiken County residents hit hard by the historic rain and floods of early October.

"This proposed legislation will hopefully provide assistance to farmers who are in desperate need; many of whom are selling off equipment to make ends meet or are calling it quits entirely," Taylor said. "While the specifics of the legislation have yet to be worked out, the Farm Aid bill, is much needed."

Local farmers must do something, and quick, since Gov. Nikki Haley has refused to request federal aid to assist our farmers, which leaves it to state government to solve the problem, Taylor said.

Taylor said the much-needed aid can't happen soon enough for him.

"Some of our family farmers in South Carolina and in parts of Aiken County are in crisis," he said. "They have been hit by the trifecta of a severe ice storm, drought and historic flooding."

According to White, the State House needs to make this legislation its top priority when it returns to work on Jan. 12.

"While the agricultural crop loss crisis is not the only need arising out of October's flooding, it is one of the most important and time-sensitive, which is why I plan to push for a Palmetto Farm Aid bill as soon as we begin the new legislative session in January," White said in the release. "Agriculture is our No. 1 industry, and our farmers are in desperate need. Crop insurance is not true insurance, and many crops are not insurable; so while it will cover some of the losses, it is an insufficient mechanism for insuring against catastrophic loss arising from a natural disaster."

White stated what local farmers already know -- while there may be some government assistance available for farmers, these measures fall far short of preventing many farmers from losing their farms and livelihoods.

"We must stand up for our farmers to prevent a pillar of the South Carolina economy from collapsing," White said in the release.

State Speaker of the House Jay Lucas, R-Hartsville, said South Carolina stands at risk to lose a large portion of its family-owned farms.

"South Carolina farmers have always played a fundamental role in our economy," Lucas said in the release. "Because of the catastrophic damage caused by the historic flood, we are at risk of losing a significant portion of our small family farms. The House stands ready to work on a solution that will offer the agriculture community the assistance they need to recover from this devastating event."

According to The Associated Press, while Haley has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expedite insurance payments to farmers instead of accepting federal aid, underinsured farmers shouldn't be bailed out, her office has said.

Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers said in an Associated Press story these proposed payments -- even for farmers with top-notch insurance -- won't come close to covering their losses, which didn't stop with the initial flooding.

"The continued rainfall worsened the problem, as crops rotted in the fields," Weathers said.

The estimated losses include $330 million worth of fall crops destroyed or damaged in the field at harvest time and $46 million in winter crops that couldn't be planted in the muck; this follows summer crops lost to drought, he said.

Farmers' annual operating loans are coming due Dec. 31, and the banks will start sending out unpaid notices in January, said State Farm Bureau President Harry Ott.

Dan Brown is the government reporter for the Aiken Standard.

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