Nebraska’s senior U.S. Senator says the House needs to pass the farm bill to help farmers and ranchers struggling because of the drought.
Senator Ben Nelson toured farms in central Nebraska Thursday and received a briefing Wednesday at the National Drought Mitigation Center on current conditions. Thenewest U.S. drought monitor report shows 90 percent of the state is in an extreme drought.
Nelson says there are concerns this year’s event could be more than just a so-called flash drought. "Is this just the beginning of a very dry era that is more than one year, it’s the beginning of a long time where we’re not going to have much rain, and what’s that going to mean for the future?"
Nelson says the farm bill also protects livestock producers against losses. In some drought-stricken areas, corn is being cut to provide feed for livestock.
National Drought Mitigation Center officials expect the drought to continue in to this fall.
