USDA is helping producers affected by those catastrophic wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma.

Participant: Gary Crawford.

TRANSCRIPT

"We will do everything we can to support farmers, ranchers and impacted communities on the long road to recovery."

Those words from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in reaction to the devastating wildfires that have burned at least 1.3 million acres in the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma, destroying homes, farms, pastures and livestock.

Vilsack has directed the USDA to help in the recovery efforts.

USDA already has 200 people on the ground helping with fire suppression and has people from USDA's Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service holding informational sessions outlining for producers the many programs that are available in the disaster situation such as this.

Everything from emergency loans to programs to help producers who have dead animals to dispose of.

Secretary Vilsack said full recovery from this disaster will likely take many months and USDA will be there for however long it takes. it takes.

Gary Crawford for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.