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ranchers," Noem said.
• Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., said Congress must end the government shutdown so U.S. Agriculture Department employees can be recalled from furloughs to help ranchers document their losses. "Then we need to pass the farm bill to provide the much needed livestock disaster assistance to ranchers."
• Silvia Christen, executive director of the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, said a livestock disaster program is needed quickly.
• "The situation right now in western South Dakota is dire," Christen said. "We

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