Nelson announces ag
rehabilitation program
By Jessica Flanagain
Staff reporter
At a news conference
Wednesday, Gov. Ben Nelson
announced a partnership with the
Nebraska Department of Agriculture
and the University of Nebraska
Cooperative Extension to launch a
new program called “Decisions Now
- Building Your Future.”
This $118,250 program, funded
by the University of Nebraska and
the Rural Rehab program is a finan
cial planning and analysis program
for struggling ranch and farm opera
tions.
“Low livestock and crop prices,
diminishing export markets and
adverse weather conditions have
combined this year to make things
extremely difficult for Nebraska
agriculture,” Nelson said.
Nelson also spoke of his work
toward developing a federal crop
insurance effort. According to the
Nebraska Farm Business
Association approximately one third
of Nebraska farm families were
unable to cover their family living
expenses, which was a reason cited
by Nelson to indicate the need for
such a program for Nebraska farm
ers and ranchers.
“Generally when there’s a down
turn in agriculture, it’s one or two
_
sectors, not every sector at once,”
said Larry Sitzman, director of the
Nebraska department of Agriculture.
“The current situation is putting sig
nificant financial stress on farm and
ranch operations.”
“The University of Nebraska
Cooperative Extension and the
Nebraska department of Agriculture
are collaborating to help producers
cope with financial stress as they
plan for 1999,” said Kenneth Bolen,
dean of the University of Nebraska
Cooperative Extension.
“The program will help farmers
and ranchers determine where they
are now financially, what resources
they have and what decisions they
need to make,” said Larry Bitney, an
agriculture economist with in NU’s
Institute of Agriculture and Natural
Resources. “For some people, it will
be a fine-tuning. For others, it could
be a major overhaul.”
Bitney explained that in addition
to financial analysis and planning,
the program will help families dis
cuss and write their personal goals.
The program will be offered at
several locations around the state.
Families may begin enrolling in
October for sessions in January,
February and March. Cooperative
Extension farm management staff,
educators and part-time instructors
will conduct the training, which will
cost $75 per family.
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