agriculture

In which we discuss recent developments in this year's most important agricultural story.

Gov. Mike Easley announced today he will ask the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for a federal disaster declaration for farmers whose crops and livestock are suffering from the ongoing drought. The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the U.S. Farm Service Agency have nearly completed a statewide survey of crop loss data from farmers to determine which counties to include in a federal disaster request.

“Early indications are that more than 90 counties may meet the criteria for federal disaster assistance,” Easley said. “Our farmers need our help, and since we cannot make it rain, we will do everything we can to provide them some financial assistance.”

Once the crop loss information is certified by Farm Service Agency, the governor will send a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture asking for federal disaster aid for those farmers in counties that have at least one covered crop with 30 percent or greater reduction in normal yield. If it is approved, a federal declaration will make low interest Emergency Disaster Loans available to farmers who cannot get credit elsewhere.

Via the editorial page of the Citizen:

Tomorrow, today
As noted previously on our opinion page, this has not been a particularly swell couple of years for efforts to secure a vote on land and water conservation bonds.

Last session, concerns about the level of state indebtedness caused legislators to back away from the bond plan, which would fund a comprehensive effort to save the “goodliest lands.”
Unless, there is a turnaround — and, perhaps, an epiphany or two — the same reasoning will win out this year even though there’s a growing state surplus and plenty of lust for bond debt for legislators’ pet projects.

Vastly different House and Senate versions of the reauthorization of the federal farm bill. The big issue is funding for conservation programs. Senate, yes. House, no. Via Medill:

WASHINGTON – The chairmen of the Senate and the House Agriculture Committees unveiled drastically different plans for funding farm conservation programs last week, setting the stage for a debate that may last well into September with billions of subsidy dollars for farmers at stake.

America employs a massive army of migrant farm workers, who rise from their winter slumber every year and travel from farm to farm, helping to prepare the crops.

From October to December of 2006 they started vanishing in unprecedented numbers. Many of the ones who survive have suffered massive injuries from an unknown agent; and it is possible that crops from apples to pears to avocado will no longer be produced in the US as a result.

Who are these workers? Honeybees.

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