USDA approved the distribution of $285 million in disaster aid for six sugarbeet cooperatives across the United States, including American Crystal Sugar Company, Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative and Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative. Those funds are for sugarbeet growers who experienced loss last year. Cold, wet conditions impacted sugarbeet harvest in the Red River Valley. North Dakota Senator John Hoeven says he wants the payments to out as soon as possible. “Hopefully, in the next week the funds will get out to the cooperatives. The cooperatives will distribute payments in a way that works for them and their members,” said Hoeven. “The other key piece is the full 100 percent payout for Fiscal Year 2018 and 2019. USDA was looking at only doing 50 percent in 2019. We had to push for that, but USDA is on board.” Hoeven said the Red River Valley was hit the hardest and a large share of the payments will be coming to the region. “Essentially, there’s a per-acre payment. It varies across the country and cooperatives based on what their loss actually was, what indemnity they get from crop insurance and then the disaster assistance makes up the difference.” Read more.
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