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Bredesen Requests Federal Ag Disaster Designation for 28 Tennessee Counties

**News Release from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture**

(Nashville) Governor Phil Bredesen today requested a federal designation of agricultural disaster for 28 counties in Tennessee to help farmers who have suffered crop and livestock losses as a result of persistent drought conditions.

A designation from USDA would allow qualifying farmers to receive federal farm disaster assistance that could help them manage losses and plan for next year. Bredesen made the request in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer.

"Farmers in these areas have suffered two and sometimes three years in a row of difficult growing seasons due to lingering drought conditions," said Bredesen. "Anytime you have this kind of long term impact to agriculture, it makes it doubly hard for farmers to keep farming and make ends meet. We want to ensure that our states farmers have access to any assistance that will help them manage through this agricultural disaster."

The counties include: Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Cannon, Coffee, Fentress, Franklin, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Henry, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Polk, Scott, Unicoi, Warren, Washington and Weakley.

Farmers in these counties have reported crop losses, as much as 35 to 70 percent, due to below normal rainfall, low water levels and a cumulative rainfall deficit that has carried over from last year. In some areas of the state the rainfall deficit for the year is 12 inches or more and portions of East Tennessee remain under extreme drought conditions. The lack of rainfall has affected major crops including corn, soybeans, tobacco and hay, as well as some nursery and fruit and vegetable crops.

Although early season hay production was much improved from last year, agriculture officials are expecting late season hay production to be significantly reduced. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service last week rated nearly three-fourths of the states pastures as in very poor to fair condition.

According to state Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens, other counties are expected to request federal agricultural assistance in the coming days as the full extent of this years drought is realized during harvest season.

"Although this years drought is not as widespread as last year and crop production has been favorable in some areas, we know that many farmers are struggling from persistent drought conditions," said Givens. "We expect that other counties will likely qualify for an agricultural disaster designation and were prepared to work with our federal partners to make sure that Tennessee farmers have access to federal assistance."

Once a county is approved, eligible farmers can apply for a variety of federal farm disaster programs including supplemental farm revenue payments, livestock assistance and low-interest emergency loans through their local USDA Farm Service Agency office.

For livestock producers needing to buy or looking to sell hay, the Department of Agriculture and Tennessee Farm Bureau cooperatively manage the Tennessee Hay Directory. A listing of local and out-of-state sources of hay can be found online at www.picktnproducts.org.  

For a weekly report on crop conditions across the state, visit www.nass.usda.gov/tn. The U.S. Department of Agriculture makes this report available every Monday after 3 p.m. CDT.

 

 

Posted: 09-22-08 Viewed: 1498 times