SIOUX FALLS, S.D.- The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it would provide $20 million in cost-share disaster assistance to help South Dakota, Minnesota, and Kentucky farmers rebuild storage facilities battered by severe storms in recent months.
South Dakota Corn Growers Association President Scott Stahl of Bridgewater says that is welcome news to the state’s farmers. A derecho that swept across a large portion of South Dakota on May 12, with wind speeds reaching more than 90 mph, mangled many bins that farmers use to store their corn, soybeans, and wheat.
“A cost-share is a great option to help farmers with their recovery,” Stahl said. “It was a devastating storm that destroyed infrastructure used to store and process grain during harvest time. This provides farmers with some assistance to get past the devastation of May 12, a day that won’t be forgotten.”
The USDA said funds would cover 75% of eligible expenses associated with building grain storage capacity or purchasing equipment. Details on the program and the process of seeking cost share will be available in a future Federal Register notice. Farmers in portions of numerous South Dakota counties are eligible to apply for USDA funding.
