The $1.5 billion federal disaster assistance package the Obama administration has pledged for American farmers will help get many back on their feet and prevent some from giving up farming. Unfortunately, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal have unfairly attacked this aid by saying it will help farmers who don’t need it.

That’s not true. It will support many American farm families who have suffered significant crop losses from a variety of weather events.

That includes me. In 2009, we harvested a cotton crop with only 40-50 percent of our anticipated yield, due to more than 30 inches of rain we received during September and October. Those losses came after we spent thousands of dollars on seed, fertilizer, chemicals and other crop inputs during the season.

I fully understand the risks associated with farming, but adverse weather conditions have dealt us a severe blow. Neither federal crop insurance nor the permanent disaster program is an effective option for most Southern farmers. The federal disaster assistance package is needed to sustain the farms that suffered significant losses.

David Cochran

Cotton Producer

Greenville