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Mr. Harrison made inquiries at the Department following the initial announcement of the disaster certification last week. He said he was told that Rappahannock pasturage stands at 40 p ercent of normal because of drought conditions this year. As to purchase of emergency feed, he said farmers would have to satisfy the local five-man committee that they are not able to buy at the prevailing market price feed necessary to maintain their herds of sheep or dairy or beef cattle. They also must certify that they have less than a 30day supply of feed on hand, Department officials emphasized.
If found qualified for relief, a farmer may buy feed from Commodity Credit Corporation stocks at redced prices through the county PMA Committee. The prices are $1 per bushel for corn, $1.10 for wheat, fifty .cents for oats and $35 a ton for cotton-seed meal, cakes or pellets. An alternate plan allows eligible farmers to buy mixed feeds for beef and dairy cattle at reduced prices from commercial distributors. This is possible through sale of CCC feed stocks to the mixed-feed processors at reduced rates. Mr. Harrison said he was told there would be no Government-fixed price for such feeds sold through commercial channels, but that the distributors, getting their materials for less, would be expected to reflect the saving in the prices charged the farmer. Under the Department of Agriculture definition, Mr. Harrison said, “foundation herds” of cattle consist of cows and bulls, nursing calves and only such heifers as are required for replacement of the basic herd. The Seventh District Representative pointed out that the emergency feed distribution plans, approved by the Department of Agriculture at the request of the State Agricultural Mobilization Committee, were entirely separate from loan aid available through the Farmers’ Home Ad^ntstrationi'^'xistmg' iggwtatiqrrprp=° vides for special loans to distressed livestock farmers, he said. In addition, the FHA has been considering separate disaster loan certifications for the Virginia counties most seriously affected by the drought.
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