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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The stability and livelihood of farms and family
3 farmers, the food and fiber industry, and the food processing,
4 commodity marketing, and agriculture-related industries of
5 this State have been endangered by severe drought conditions
6 during the 2005 growing season; and
 
7     WHEREAS, On July 27th, 2005, United States Department of
8 Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns designated 102 Illinois
9 counties as agriculture disaster areas due to the drought, and
10 the United States Drought Monitor indicates that Illinois
11 remains in an extreme drought that has greatly impacted the
12 productivity of Illinois crops and this State's economy; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Illinois' food and fiber industry employs nearly
14 one million people, food processing is the State's number-one
15 manufacturing activity adding almost $13.4 billion annually to
16 the value of Illinois' raw agricultural commodities, and the
17 marketing of Illinois' agricultural commodities generates more
18 than $9 billion annually for the State economy; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Billions more dollars flow into this State's
20 economy from agriculture-related industries, such as farm
21 machinery manufacturing, agricultural real estate, and
22 production and sale of value-added food products, which employ
23 millions of people; and
 
24     WHEREAS, The declaration of Illinois counties as
25 agriculture disaster areas due to the drought allows some
26 indirect relief to qualified producers in the form of
27 eligibility for low interest federal and State emergency loan
28 programs that allow producers to borrow moneys for production
29 and physical losses; notwithstanding these programs, a
30 comprehensive national Crop Disaster Program that authorizes
31 direct disaster payments to producers could provide better,

 

 

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1 more immediate, and more uniform protection to farmers against
2 natural disasters and drought conditions; and
 
3     WHEREAS, It is in the best interests of the State of
4 Illinois and the United States to provide the best protections
5 available to the vital agricultural sector of our economy;
6 therefore, be it
 
7     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL
8 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
9 CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the United States Congress to
10 promote and protect agriculture in Illinois and throughout the
11 United States by passing a comprehensive national Crop Disaster
12 Program that includes direct disaster payments to producers and
13 that includes disaster payments to Illinois producers who
14 suffered a loss during the 2005 growing season; and be it
15 further
 
16     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
17 presented to each member of the Illinois Congressional
18 delegation, the Speaker of the United States House of
19 Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States
20 Senate, and the President of the United States.