Monsanto Company and Deltapine® Cotton announced a donation of $200,000 to assist with ongoing agricultural disaster relief efforts on the Texas Gulf Coast region for those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Floods, wind and torrential rains struck a severe blow to farmers in the region, damaging crops and infrastructure.
The funds will be distributed to the Texas Farm Bureau Foundation Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund and the State of Texas Agriculture Relief Fund (STAR), which is administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture. The donation will help the organizations provide assistance to farmers and ranchers in these hard hit areas.
“For many farmers, this event couldn’t have come at a worse time, with many just beginning or about to begin harvest,” said Brian Naber, Monsanto’s U.S. commercial operations lead. “By supporting the Texas Farm Bureau and State of Texas Agriculture Relief Fund, we hope that we’re able to help many in the Texas ag community that have been affected by this unparalleled disaster.”
Monsanto employees will also be able to support relief efforts by making donations to the organizations, with the company matching employee contributions.
“We appreciate the generosity of Monsanto in helping farmers and ranchers on the Texas Gulf Coast rebuild after Harvey,” Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening said. “The storm was a devastating blow, but agriculture is a national community with a determination to help in times of crisis.”
“On behalf of the Texas Department of Agriculture, I want to send a Texas-sized thank you to the folks at Monsanto for their very generous donation to the State of Texas Agriculture Relief Fund,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said. “Their donation, and their commitment to match employee donations, shows their dedication to helping Texas farmers and ranchers recover from this disaster. Monsanto’s support, along with all the donations to the STAR Fund— both large and small—shows the true spirit of the Texas agriculture community. We pull together in times of crisis, and we always lend a helping hand when others are in need. Thank you to Monsanto for supporting Texas ag producers in need.”
Monsanto announced an initial donation of $500,000 to the American Red Cross and Feeding America/Feeding Texas to help address the critical and immediate need to feed families affected by the storm, both in the days after landfall and throughout the rebuilding process.