14 



I want to join Mrs. Mink in saying I appreciate your positive atti- 

 tude in working out the problems. We are coming a long way on 

 this. 



My question to you is, for an individual farmer, would you buy 

 crop insurance, or would you just wait for the disaster insurance? 

 I know they will pay in some cases when disaster falls through. 



Mr. Weber. In my area of the country, coming from western 

 Kansas, probably hail insurance is purchased more than Federal 

 crop insurance. It just seems appropriate though in that area more 

 often than not you are going to have hail rather than other types 

 of disaster, so it is pretty widely used. 



Mr. Kingston. After the process is over in this legislation, will 

 it correct the disincentive out there or duplication? 



Mr. Weber. We are hopeful that the crop reform package that 

 the Secretary will be bringing to the Hill will help to clarify that 

 and help us to get out from under this situation of having the dual 

 programs, one through the crop insurance and the ad hoc programs 

 that we have had. 



Mr. Kingston. That is all the questions I have. 



Thank you, very much. 



Mrs. Thurman. Mr. Goodlatte. 



Mr. Goodlatte. I have no questions. 



Mrs. Thurman. Mrs. Mink. 



Mrs. Mink. Thank you very much, Madam Chair, for the cour- 

 tesy of allowing me to sit here with the panel and also to ask ques- 

 tions. 



Mr. Weber, we are of course very appreciative of the way in 

 which you have attempted to help us. We know that the barriers 

 somewhere lie in judgments or understandings in the Departments 

 or perhaps to some extent in the regulations. 



The one that really troubles our farmers in Hawaii, and I am 

 sure it is probably the same problem in Florida, is why are we 

 stuck to the calendar year? Why when a hurricane hits or disaster 

 strikes, are we stuck to December 31 as somehow a magical date 

 by which to determine whether the farmer is able to have any as- 

 sistance or not? Why can't we, or is there any basic reason in the 

 law why we cannot change that so that this is 12 months from the 

 date of the disaster? That is for starters. 



Mr. Weber. Certainly, Congresswoman Mink, the law does not 

 specifically set out how the crop year will be determined. That is 

 an administrative determination. 



As far as determining and setting the calendar year for nursery 

 crops and ornamentals, we worked with the industry starting in 

 1988, and that was basically the consensus between the Depart- 

 ment and the industry of saying that seemed like a reasonable ap- 

 proach. So that is kind of where it has evolved. 



That is not to suggest that upon further review that changes 

 could not be made. I had not necessarily heard of the recommenda- 

 tion of starting the year when the disaster occurs. Certainly that 

 is an interesting concept. 



Mrs. Mink. In our situation you say that Hawaii harvested most 

 of the 1992 crop because the hurricane occurred in September and 

 therefore there was no loss. That is certainly not a true statement. 



