USDA: Grain storage funds will help South Dakota farmers harmed by derecho

September 27, 2022

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.–The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today that it will provide $20 million in cost-share disaster assistance to help South Dakota, Minnesota and Kentucky farmers rebuild storage facilities battered by severe storms in recent months.

South Dakota Corn Growers Association President Scott Stahl of Bridgewater says that is welcome news to the state’s farmers. A derecho that swept across a large portion of South Dakota on May 12, with wind speeds reaching more than 90 mph, mangled many bins that farmers use to store their corn, soybeans and wheat.

“A cost-share is a great option to help farmers with their recovery,” Stahl said. “It was a devastating storm that destroyed infrastructure used to store and process grain during harvest time. This provides farmers with some assistance to get past the devastation of May 12, a day that won’t be forgotten.”

Impact area maps in the three states are available on the USDA website. Farmers in portions of numerous South Dakota counties are eligible to apply for USDA funding.

The SDCGA appreciates the efforts of other agricultural-producer groups in working with the USDA on storm-damage assistance. Kentucky was ravaged by tornadoes last December.

The USDA said funds will cover 75 percent of eligible expenses associated with building grain storage capacity or purchasing equipment, and details on the program and the process to seek cost share will be available in a future Federal Register notice.