By: Mary Steurer (ND Monitor)
The North Dakota Industrial Commission is looking for ways to help farmers who lost storage and other infrastructure in last weekend’s severe storm prepare for harvest season.
“Harvest is coming, and some of these farms may only have one or two bins left,” Agricultural Commissioner Doug Goehring, who sits on the commission, said during a Thursday meeting.
A storm on Friday and Saturday generated multiple tornadoes, high winds and hail that was devastating for agriculture producers across the state. A tornado near Enderlin in eastern North Dakota claimed the lives of three residents. A fourth death in Stutsman County was linked to a power outage that resulted from the storm.
Farmers have reported lost crops and destroyed grain bins, irrigation systems and sheds.
The impact to grain storage could amount to a loss of tens of millions of bushels, according to Goehring.
The Industrial Commission asked the state-owned Bank of North Dakota to “develop disaster program alternatives” and present them to the commission within the next two weeks, according to an email from the bank.
Gov. Kelly Armstrong, who chairs the commission, suggested during Thursday’s meeting that the state can provide bridge loans to farmers so they can get started replacing lost infrastructure until they get insurance claims processed.
Bank of North Dakota Chief Lending Officer Craig Hanson said during the meeting that community bankers have reported that farmers’ corn crops are mostly OK, but that they are “thinking about reseeding options” for bean crops.
“There’s some discussion on insurance versus some seed options, on how things are covered and what costs are there as well,” Hanson said.
Armstrong said the state should also think about ways it can support small businesses in communities hit by the storm.
“If a small town business closes down, the chances of it reopening are zero,” he said.
The commission indicated it would reconvene soon to take official action on the matter.
