June 15, 2011
www.gfb.org
Vol. 29 No. 24
DEAL REQUESTS DISASTER DECLARATIONS FOR DROUGHT
Gov. Nathan Deal wrote to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on June 3 asking for secretarial disaster designations in 22 Georgia counties. In a follow-up letter members of the Georgia congressional delegation wrote Vilsack on June 9 urging him to consider designating those counties as disaster areas. In that letter, Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson noted that as much as 54 percent of the state has been documented as suffering from extreme drought conditions by the U.S. Drought Monitor through June 2. Georgia Reps. Jack Kingston (R-1st Dist.), Sanford Bishop (D-2nd Dist.), Austin Scott (R-8th Dist) and John Barrow (R-12th Dist.) also signed the letter. Noting that Georgia farmers have already experienced extensive losses to numerous crops, Deal asked for designations for Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Chatham, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Dodge, Effingham, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Telfair, Thomas, Wayne and Wheeler counties. According to Deal’s letter, the United States Department of Agriculture’s County Emergency Boards have prepared loss adjustment reports which have been reviewed by the USDA State Emergency Board (SEB). The SEB agreed with the loss information as reported and has recommended the secretarial disaster declaration, which would make farmers in those counties eligible to apply for assistance, including emergency loans and benefits under the 2008 farm bill. Georgia FSA Director Hobby Stripling has also submitted those 22 counties for secretarial disaster designation, the next-to-last step in the process. To qualify for a secretarial designation, a county must have a 30 percent production loss in at least one crop due to a natural disaster. It is possible that the SEB, which meets monthly, could recommend other counties in Georgia for secretarial disaster declarations due to drought conditions. The hot and dry weather is likely to continue, according to State Climatologist David Stooksbury. In his summer climate outlook, Stooksbury said that most of the state will experience warmer and drier than normal weather through the middle of August. “Drought and warmer-than-normal temperatures go together and typically reinforce each other,” Stooksbury wrote. “Dry soils mean that more energy from the sun heats the soil and the air above it.” In response to the drought conditions, the University of Georgia is holding a seminar on drought management for forage and livestock producers on June 20 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. It will be held on the UGA Tifton Campus and broadcast by webinar. For information visit http://www.georgiaforages.com.