WASHINGTON — Sen. Chuck Grassley today spoke with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns about concerns he has with how the Risk Management Agency is handling the finding of Aflatoxin in corn.
Grassley asked Johanns to alert the Risk Management Agency about the problems that are occurring because of seemingly inflexible rules by the Agency when it comes to aflatoxin. Grassley also told the Secretary that because of an obscure rule at the RMA, agents currently are not able to work with the insured farmers and help come up with solutions to the problems they are facing.
"I’m afraid the Risk Management Agency is out of touch with what the farmers are facing in Iowa because it hasn’t been seen in the state since the late 1980s. Producers who have found this disease deserve to get help and not the run around from the folks who deal with this type of problem on a daily basis," Grassley said. "There needs to be a consistent message to the adjusters and producers on how to ensure Iowa’s farmers are justly covered."
Grassley said that Johanns will look into his concerns and relay them to the appropriate people at the Department of Agriculture.
Last week Grassley sent a letter to Johanns asking him for any assistance that could help Iowa’s farmers receive the proper coverage entitled to them under the federal crop insurance program. In the letter, Grassley said, "Farmers in these counties are seeing low prices mixed with after effects from the drought. So many producers will be relying on their crop insurance coverage to meet their financial obligations this fall."
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