Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation members and staff continued their efforts this week to find a solution for the farmers and ranchers across Mississippi who continue to experience extreme flooding.
Earlier this week, a small group of farm leaders from Mississippi traveled to Washington to discuss the ongoing flooding problems in Mississippi with lawmakers and agency officials. MFBF President Mike McCormick, Jeffry Mitchell of Cary, Louis Guedon of Natchez and other MFBF staff participated in the trip.
“We traveled to Washington this week to concurrently work on two major flooding issues in Mississippi,” McCormick said. “One in the Yazoo Backwater Area and another in the batture lands south of Vicksburg along the Mississippi River.”
The MFBF group met with staff from the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (U.S. Army Corp of Engineers), staff from the office of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Administrator of the USDA Farm Service Agency, the Administrator of the USDA Risk Management Agency, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, and staff from the Office of U.S. Senator Roger Wicker.
“We had very productive discussions about the Yazoo Backwater pump project, as well the needs of the farmers in those areas in regard to federal crop insurance,” McCormick said. “We also visited about the ongoing study for adjustments in crop insurance programs for farms in the batture lands south of Vicksburg. And finally, we outlined the need for further trade aid with USDA to our farmers and ranchers as the trade dispute with China continues.”
Flooding issues will continue to be a priority for the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation.