Senate Ag Committee Staff Director Briefs Arkansas Rice Industry Members

02/26/10 04:03 PM Filed in: Meetings
Robert Holifield, staff director for Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), met with Arkansas Rice Industry Members.
Robert Holifield, staff director for Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), met with Arkansas Rice Industry Members.
STUTTGART, AR — Robert Holifield, staff director for Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), met with a joint session of the Arkansas Rice Producers Group Board, the Arkansas Rice Council Board, and the Executive Committee of the Ag Council of Arkansas last week to update growers on the latest developments surrounding disaster aide for Arkansas farmers. Holifield introduced Brad Karmen as a new policy analyst for the Senate Agriculture Committee and shared Karmen's 30 years of experience within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency.

"His experience will help us tremendously as we work to craft farm policy," Holifield said.

Holifield and Karmen expressed frustration over the partisan wrangling that has slowed work on the disaster bill, but remained optimistic that Lincoln's efforts would ultimately lead to a disaster package that works for Arkansas farmers.

"We know the SURE program doesn't work for you and have been working to craft a bill that will provide assistance quickly and effectively," they said.

If approved, the legislation would provide an estimated $1.1 billion in direct payment assistance to producers in counties declared "primary" disaster areas by USDA.

Contact: Ben Noble, (501) 372-4122