WASHINGTON – A continuing resolution in the U.S. Senate includes $33.5 billion in agriculture disaster assistance, Sen. John Hoeven, ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, reported Wednesday.

Congress is considering a continuing resolution to fund the government until spring while the budgeting process proceeds.

Hoeven worked to secure agricultural assistance to help address producer losses resulting from natural disasters and challenging markets. According to a news release from Hoeven’s office, the package includes $10 billion to help farmers mitigate economic losses in 2024, $21 billion to assist farmers and ranchers experiencing losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 and an additional $2.5 billion for other agriculture disaster needs, including assistance for Agricultural Research Service facilities damaged by recent hurricanes. At the same time, the legislation provides a one-year extension of the farm bill to give producers certainty as they plan for next year, Hoeven said.

“Farm country has faced growing and serious challenges this year, which is why we worked hard to secure funding to help them recover and regroup for the coming year,” Hoeven said in the release. “Across the U.S., farmers have suffered over $31 billion in market losses, in addition to $35 billion in uncovered weather-related losses.”

Of the $10 billion provided for economic losses, North Dakota producers are estimated to receive more than $600 million for market losses.

The $21 billion for losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 includes $2 billion for livestock losses and $3 million to help domestic sugar producers by validating the testing of molasses imports at ports of entry to prevent the import of illegal sugar.