• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- Congress needs to move quickly to pass a farm bill, largely to help western South Dakota ranchers recovering from a fall blizzard that killed thousands of cattle, Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson and leaders of the South Dakota Farmers Union and SD Stockgrowers Association said Tuesday.
• The early October storm impacted more than 600 farmers and ranchers, some of whom lost more than half their herds, said Doug Mack, a board member of the Stockgrowers Association.
• "These producers have been sitting there waiting as patiently as possible for months now," he said. "Without these things going forward, we're going to lose some excellent producers."
• Mark Buchholz, who ranches near Philip and owns an implement dealership, said he hopes the bill caps payment limitations at $250,000, which would cover the loss of about 125 cattle.
• "Even though you're a sole owner, there's hired men involved," he said of other costs. "$100,000 is a Band-Aid. $250,000 is at least going to be dressing on the wound."
• Buchholz also would like Congress to make the payments retroactive to cover losses from the 2012 drought. "Because in this country, everybody was affected by the drought something terrible," he said.
• Farm bill negotiators have been working nearly continuously -- including over Congress' Christmas break -- to try and broker a compromise between House and Senate versions of the roughly $500 billion measure. Both houses approved versions of the five-year bill in 2013, but they contained key differences regarding crop subsidies and how much to cut from food stamp programs.
• Negotiators have said they are closing in on a deal, with a goal of having one in place by the end of the month. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has worked to maintain milk subsidies that would prevent dairy prices from skyrocketing, giving negotiators more time. But that flexibility is expected to be gone by the end of the

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