Joe Lieberman: “I rise today to describe a distressing situation that 23 Connecticut oyster farmers found themselves in earlier this…”

“I rise today to describe a distressing situation that 23 Connecticut oyster farmers found themselves in earlier this summer, and to offer my thanks to Mr. Cochran and Mr. Kohl for helping Mr. Dodd and myself correct an injustice to these hardworking individuals. In early June, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) informed twenty-three Connecticut oyster farmers by letter that they must repay approximately $1.5 million total in federal disaster aid payments that were granted due to a federal error. I am pleased to say that Mr. Dodd's and my amendment to forgive that repayment was included in the Agriculture Appropriations bill. The oyster industry is important to Connecticut's economy--prior to 1997, Connecticut's annual oyster crop was second only to Louisiana's. However, between 1997 and 1999, our oyster industry was devastated by a disease known as MSX, resulting in massive losses. The market value plummeted from a 1995 high of $60 million to just $10 million. In the face of this severe loss to the oyster industry, the Connecticut Farm Service Agency (FSA) approved and distributed modest disaster payments to the oyster farmers in 1999.”