Our Nation's livestock producers are hurting. A severe drought in the Southwest has reduced available forage in pastures while raising the cost of cattle feed. Producers also have been hurt by low beef prices.
I am taking action today to help livestock producers weather these tough times. Specifically, I am declaring a State of Emergency in the Southwest and other areas, enabling the Secretary of Agriculture to release about $40 million in needed assistance to producers from the Feed Grain Disaster Reserve.
The Department of Agriculture will sell about 15 million bushels of grain from the Disaster Reserve, in order to make disaster assistance payments to livestock producers in the drought region. The Department will make the sales in a way that minimizes market disruptions.
Secretary Glickman and Deputy Secretary Rominger recently visited some of the areas hardest hit by the drought, and I have heard from Members of Congress and others about the situation there. I know how badly producers are suffering, and I am determined to do whatever I can to help.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
NOTE: The proclamation on the declaration of a state of emergency and release of feed grain from the disaster reserve is listed in Appendix D at the end of this volume. An original was not available for verification of the content of this statement.
William J. Clinton, Statement on Assistance for Livestock Producers Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/288556