With recent rains, Virginia’s drought-stricken growers are expressing cautious optimism that this season still can be salvaged, as state agriculture leaders are encouraging farmers affected by adverse spring weather to consider options for federal disaster assistance.
With much of the state under severe-to-extreme drought conditions, farmers in multiple Virginia localities have received drought disaster designations by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and the Farm Service Agency. A range of disaster assistance programs are available to eligible producers, including emergency loans and other recovery options.
Recent rains have been “a blessing,” said Carl Daniel, Halifax County Farm Bureau president who grows corn, soybean and tobacco, and raises some beef cattle.
Though many Southside Virginia farmers are waiting later than usual to plant crops, “we think there is still hope,” he said. “The rain has been sporadic. Some areas only got an inch-and-a-half while others up to 5 inches. But any rain is good in a drought situation!”
However, grasslands and pastures are “taking a beating,” said Virginia Farm Bureau Federation state board member Bruce Slagle, who represents farmers in the region.
“Some farmers are still feeding their hay supplies from last fall, while not making more,” he explained. “Normally, you’re rolling hay now for next winter. What little hay is out there—they might be feeding it already. But I think the rain is going to help them out a lot.”
VFBF Vice President Robert J. Mills Jr. has mowed some hay this season at Briar View Farms in Pittsylvania County.
“But our first cutting is less than 30% of our usual yield,” he said. “The rest dried up.”
Parched pasture conditions have backed others into a financial corner.
“We have cattle farmers in Halifax selling young calves, so there’s enough pasture for the others to have,” Daniel added. “And people are already looking for hay to feed.”
But farmers hedge their bets when Mother Nature deals bad hands. Mills said tobacco plantings can be postponed, depending on variety.
“This is the first time in our career that we’ve ever planted tobacco in June,” he said. “If we have more rain and crop progresses throughout the season, we’ll be OK. But if we have another drought mid-season, it’s going to stall the crop. Delayed maturity puts it in the frost window.”
Mills said only about 25% of corn has been planted in the county because of drought, including just 12 acres of their 200-acre cornfield, while late frost pushed some farmers to re-plant their corn and soybean crops altogether.
Growers impacted by the late April freeze may be eligible for FSA physical loss loans to help repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property. The farmers.gov Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet and Loan Assistance Tool can help determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local USDA Service Center or call Virginia FSA at 804-287-1500.
