Drought statistics for Georgia from U.S. Drought Monitor (image courtesy U.S. Drought Monitor)
Farmers in the state’s number one industry are struggling to feed animals, plant, and ultimately harvest crops. Earlier this summer U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak named 22 counties in South Georgia federal disaster areas. Now the drought is spreading
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black says conditions are poor everywhere.
“I don’t have to travel too far. I can go right out in my back yard or right out into my pastures and our pasture conditions at home, we raise beef cattle, and they are certainly, I believe to be as poor as they’ve ever been at this particular time.”
To qualify, counties must sustain a 30-percent loss in at least one commodity. The program makes emergency federal loans available to farmers.
