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Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined members of the Louisiana congressional delegation in urging Small Business Association (SBA) Administrator Isabel Guzman to make a disaster declaration so that Louisiana’s crawfish processors, wholesalers, boilers and other related enterprises can receive emergency assistance.
In 2023, Louisiana’s adverse weather hurt the crawfish harvest. The lawmakers gave their support to Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry’s declaration request.
“Many industries throughout Louisiana suffered immensely due to drought, as well as a prolonged saltwater intrusion, which negatively impacted crawfish producers as well as downstream businesses. Crawfish processors, wholesalers, boilers, and other related enterprises are not eligible for agriculture relief programs, but their livelihoods are dependent on a robust crawfish crop. In response we request a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Access to relief programs, such as the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), through the SBA for non-agriculture members of Louisiana’s larger crawfish industry is essential to their survival. According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Louisiana’s commercial supply of crawfish has an estimated $300 million impact on the state’s economy,” they continued.
“We urge the SBA to assist Louisiana’s crawfish aquaculture industry by offering the necessary tools and assistance to navigate the application process ensuring eligible stakeholders have access to critical financial assistance,” they concluded.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) also signed the letter along with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Reps. Steve Scalise (R-La.), Julia Letlow (R-La.), Garret Graves (R-La.), Clay Higgins (R-La.) and Troy Carter (D-La.).
In February, Kennedy introduced the Crawfish Recovery Assistance from Weather Disasters and Droughts (CRAWDAD) Act to expand the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program funding to crawfish farmers. The bill would classify a drought as a weather event that the Secretary of Agriculture could declare as an emergency.
Full text of the letter is available here.
