63 



This serves two important functions. First, it keeps money flowing through 

 the system to allow individuals to meet financial obligations and so reduce 

 one source of stress. Second, it is very important for morale for both 

 employer and employee. 



This goal was achieved in a very limited way through advance ECP payments, but 

 these funds were quite insiginificant when viewed against the background of the 

 enormity of the destruction. 



The local ASCS office should have the flexibility to make significant advances 

 under the program based on their assessment of the damages, and the variation 

 in cost that would be incurred by different types of operations. 



For example, the clean-up costs incurred by a nursery that utilizes shade houses 

 should be significantly higher than those of an operation without these struct- 

 ures, assuming that in both cases the intent was to salvage as much as possible. 



In the particular case of the victims of Hurricane Andrew and Iniki and Typhoon 

 Cmar, this was further aggravated by the reduction of the original ECP funding 

 promised by ASCS by fifty percent. This decision came at a crucial time in 

 the recovery effort and served to further discourage producers who had already 

 committed their already limited resources to the clean-up effort. As a result, 

 of this and faced with an uncertain future, some made the decision to abandon 

 efforts to salvage their operation or simply bulldozed what was left to minimize 

 costs. 



Fortunately this decision was eventually reversed by Secretary Espy when $31.4 

 million dollars was reprogrammed from the Conservative Reserve Program (CRP). 

 Unfortunately it was already too late for some. 



2. The second stage of the assistance program should concentrate on getting 

 the bulk of the disaster payments, in this case Tree Assistance Program (TAP) 

 and Disaster Assistance Program (DAP), into the hands of the producers as 

 quickly as possible, preferably within six months of the event. 



In order to achieve this goal effectively a number of things must happen. First, 

 the regulations must be written to ensure that thwn they are implimented qualified 

 producers will receive appropriate funds. Secondly, they must be available to 

 the local ASCS office quickly so they can start computing payments. Finally, they 

 must be given support to allow them to meet deadlines. 



All producers were satisfied with the way TAP program was written and administered f 

 particularly nurserymen, who were included in this program for the first time. 



However, the regulations pertaining to DAP, initially, offered very little assist- 

 ance to most producers. The effect of this program on tropical fruit growers 

 and aquaculture farmers will be dealt with in detail by other speakers, but I 

 will expand on this issue as it pertains to nurserymen. 



