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producers. Perhaps tropical fruits might be included in a larger pool 

 with citrus or some other fruit crop to spread the risk. 



I was gratified to see the enactment of PL 103-50 which authorized 

 subsequent year crop loss payments to producers. However, it may be 

 interesting to see just how much of the +/- $300mm actually is received 

 by victims of Hurricane Andrew and what amount is paid under the Crop 

 Quality Adjustment Program to producers of the 11 or so commodity 

 crops. Potentially a situation may develop where many producers 

 benefit from the misfortune of a few and the original intent of the 

 legislation becomes subverted. 



To address future concerns regarding disaster relief I would like 

 to submit selected text from memorandums written by Karen Eskelin, Dade 

 County CED, ASCS. The following is taken from a memo of March 1, 1993, 

 to then Deputy Under, Secretary of Agriculture, Charles R. Resnick. 



"A concern is that Disaster Assistance Program funds will not help 

 year round industries. Timing of the natural disaster can be the sole 

 determinant of DAP benefits to nursery and tropical fish industries 

 which suffered multi-year crop losses. These industries are likely to 

 have sold nearly 60% of their calendar year sales at the time of the 

 storm and will receive DAP monies only if a 1993 Disaster bill is 

 signed. Many will not survive. Crop insurance was not available or 

 inadequate for these industries at the time of the storm. 



Defining the inventory of a nursery or fish farm at the time of 

 loss as the "crop" and eliminating the "calendar year" language for 

 these year round operations would qualify growers for disaster 

 benefits now. (For row crop farmers, an improved definition of a 

 "crop" limited to a winter, spring, fall season had been instituted 



