A Turbeville farmer has taken to social media to urge his colleagues to attend a meeting Friday in Columbia to make their concerns about and needs from the October floods known to state officials.
Jeremy Cannon has been asked to speak during a panel at 10 a.m. Friday in the council chambers of Columbia City Hall, 1737 Main St. in Columbia.
"It has come to my attention that our governor has sent in her letter to Washington, D.C., requesting funds for the state for damage from the flood," Cannon said. "Her request at this time is a whopping $0 for agriculture since we do not know exactly how much insurance will cover of the $400 million in lost crops."
Cannon has taken offense to Gov. Nikki Haley's comment Tuesday during a press conference that the state cannot aid farmers if they are "underinsured."
In Haley's press conference held Tuesday, she said she will ask the General Assembly to make available a portion of the $1.2 billion in funds that could be available in the 2016-17 fiscal year to pay the state's portion of more than $130 million in road repairs. She also asked the state's U.S. congressional delegation to ask for $140 million for housing repairs.
But she asked for nothing for South Carolina farmers, saying that insurance assessments needed to be completed - and then paid out - first.
Farm Bureau Federation Governmental Affairs Division counsel Marshall Thomas told the Associated Press that federal insurance programs do not cover events like the state's flooding in early October.
"None of the business planning in the world could have predicted two disasters in one year - drought and flood," he said. "Even the most diligent farmers who got all the crop insurance available are making the decision whether to remain in business next year - if it hasn't already been decided for them."
Cannon said on his Facebook page that Haley's comments were a slap in his and other South Carolina farmers' faces.
"She (proposed) that she would revisit our needs after insurance has been paid out and possibly request additional funds in the next six months," Cannon wrote on Facebook. "I've been a huge supporter of her, but I do know these three things: Congress will not write a stand-along agricultural aid package four, five, six or 20 months from now; farming is all about timing: Three weeks earlier or later with the flood and things would be dramatically different; and I don't know who aided in this decision, but they are wrong."
Cannon said farmers need money now.
"Agriculture is South Carolina's No. 1 industry; how could we be left out?" he said. "We built this state and this nation. The winning votes for any elected official is blue collar; no one should forget that."
Cannon said he will speak before members of U.S. Congress and state legislators Friday "about the damage to farms, what our needs are and why insurance doesn't cover it."
"I've always tried to do my best, but there is strength in numbers," he said. "I'd like to see it where there's not enough for farmers to sit. This day is important!"
Turbeville farmer Jeremy Cannon said Wednesday that the fact Haley has requested money for housing but nothing for farmers is a "slap in the face."
"Haley said she will reconsider it when the insurance payments come in," Cannon said.
He said it is unlikely Congress will look at another bill later just for agriculture.
"The time is now," Cannon said. "We need the money now. We are talking $55,000 a day in interest on $400 million in losses."
He said 70 percent of farmers' loans come due in December.
"We can't wait three or four months," he said.
Cannon will be an invited panelist at a field hearing of the U.S. Sen. Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Friday in Council Chambers at Columbia City Hall, 1737 Main St., Columbia. The hearing will cover efforts to support recovery of South Carolina's small businesses. South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott is a member of the committee.
Thomas said agriculture is the biggest industry in South Carolina and he said he was disappointed that more action hasn't been forthcoming from the state's elected officials.
He applauded Haley for asking U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for expedited crop insurance payments but said there is more to be done for farmers.
"Nikki (Haley) and the state haven't shown much interest in that," Thomas said.
A report done for the S.C. Department of Agriculture from London & Associates estimates direct losses to agriculture at $374.8 million, with indirect and induced losses bringing the total to $587.8 million. Cannon said he has been told the department is working directly with the congressional delegation.
"There are a few things they haven't agreed with the governor on, and she has gone around them a few times in the last few weeks and not involved them in the decision making," he said.
At Tuesday's conference, the governor said there have been $181 million in insurance claims to private companies, and the federal government plans on paying about $500 million to help with roads, individual damage claims and assistance to government agencies.
She put the total bill for flood damage at about $1.2 billion.
Haley said damage numbers were not released earlier so they could be more accurate.
"It's the accountant in me," she said. "You never guess numbers. It's the worst thing you can ever do. When you guess numbers, you make mistakes."
