Larry Combest: “as has been stated, the current conditions and crisis in agriculture is very broad and very wide and very deep. No…”

“as has been stated, the current conditions and crisis in agriculture is very broad and very wide and very deep. No single action that we can take or that anyone can take alone is going to solve this problem. In fact, many single actions that we take will not even address concerns of some farmers or ranchers. Tomorrow, it will be one month that the temperatures in Texas have been in excess of 100 degrees and most of that has been without any rain. In fact, I have some counties in my district that have had less than an inch and a quarter of rain since January 1. Even in those areas in which crops are irrigated, it is virtually impossible to keep up with the needs of a crop due to the fact of the high temperatures, the drought and the excessive winds. When that even is possible, the irrigation expenses this year are going to be phenomenal. Pastures are burned up, not all of them from the drought; some of them literally have burned up. Cattle prices are down. Ranchers are having to take their cattle prematurely to the market at a down market time, and this further complicates the problem. I once again call on the Secretary to allow a 5 percent a month penalty on the annual payments that would be made through CRP to allow the grazing of CRP lands. It might mean that some people can keep from having to send those cattle to the market, hopefully being able to preserve them until winter wheat pasture is available. There is a lot more that needs to be done.…”