By SUSAN BLOWER Indiana Correspondent SULLIVAN, Ind. — Record-setting rainfall for the last two weeks has dramatically impacted spring planting in Indiana, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio. Arkansas and Louisiana also saw record rainfalls, resulting in heavy flooding along river basins.
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue pledged support for farmers hit hard – he said the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the Office of Rural Development and the Natural Resources Conservation Service are “on the ground” gathering information and assisting agriculture.
“The people of the American agriculture community are made of hardy stock and can withstand their fair share of hardship, but just the same, they should know that their USDA stands with them during this national calamity,” he said. Though rainfall was expected to lessen this week, the worst may not be over. While smaller rivers and streams have already crested, large rivers, like the Mississippi, take longer to react to heavy rains.
The Mississippi River is expected to crest at major flood stage at Osceola, Ark., later this week. Areas farther south along the river may not crest until the third week of May. Areas all along the river may not drop below flood stage until the middle or end of the month, according to data compiled by the National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Prior to the storms and constant rain, parts of southern Indiana had been listed as “abnormally dry” in the U.S. Drought Monitor.
“Somebody shouldn’t have been praying so much for rain. They have a direct line and they’re getting through,” said Shirley Ferree, co-owner and agent of Springer Insurance and Financial Services in Sullivan, Ind. “We got 9 inches at our house last week, and I heard from one farmer near Evansville who got 12 inches by last Monday. He may have up to 15 inches now.”
Radar estimates for last week confirmed heavy rains of 5-10 inches in the southern half of Indiana and Illinois, the southern two-thirds of Missouri and southward through Arkansas and Louisiana, according to the Agricultural Weather Information Service (AWIS), a private company based in Auburn, Ala., that provides data to some federal agencies and energy companies.
Stendal, Ind., (in Pike County) topped the Hoosier chart at 11.12 inches of rainfall from April 28-May 5, according to AWIS. Mount Vernon recorded 9.56 inches and Evansville, 7.82 inches, in the same week’s time.
Ferree said many counties in her area, where some highways have been closed, are impacted by the Eel, White, Patoka and Wabash rivers, all of which were overflowing their banks. Davies County is usually hit hard because the east and west forks of the White River merge there. In central Indiana, Indianapolis and Terre Haute each saw 7.29 inches of rainfall. Other central and southern Indiana cities received a lesser amount of rain, but still above normal.
The Midwest Climate Watch found nearly 300 precipitation records were broken in the region during the week ending April 30, most occurring April 29-30. Once the new data are tabulated, many records may be reset. Spring planting disrupted Prior to the deluge, corn and soybean planting was well ahead of schedule in Indiana, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). For the week ending April 30, corn was 45 percent planted, with 54 percent in the southern part of Indiana, hardest hit by flooding.
About 16 percent of soybeans were in the ground, with 20 percent in the south. Many of the waterlogged acres will need to be replanted, experts said.
“Those farmers that have already planted corn and other spring crops may have to consider replanting in areas that are prone to river flooding and/or are in low areas of poor drainage. It will likely also push back planting dates at least a couple more weeks in many areas, given current cool weather,” said Karl Harker, vice president of operations for AWIS.
“This could result in farmers needing to decide on shorter-season corn varieties to plant, which tend to reduce yields. Other crops that usually get planted a little later in the spring may be pushed back to later plant dates as well, potentially impacting yields, and increasing threat of damage from the first fall frost/freeze,” said Harker, adding much depends on the remaining spring and summer. FSA is in the earliest stages of assessing damage and crop losses. “It is most critical for our landowners and producers to contact FSA as soon as possible if they have a disaster condition or livestock losses. They also need to contact their crop insurance agent,” said Susan Hovermale, compliance chief for Indiana FSA.
If 30 percent of any one crop is damaged in a county, that county can apply for emergency federal loans. Various FSA disaster programs are available for qualifying losses, Hovermale said, with most requiring farmers or landowners to report losses to the local FSA within 15 days of the disaster and before destruction of the crop.
Also, farmers may be required to document and record losses. Handharvested and certain perishable crops require notice within 72 hours of damage. When there is damage or loss of production, insurance policyholders must give notice of loss to their crop insurance agent within 72 hours of initial discovery of damage or loss of production. This would mainly be for corn and soybean replants or failed wheat at this time for Indiana, Hovermale said.
Some of the disaster programs for which farmers can qualify are:
•Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP): Provides financial assistance to livestock producers for losses in excess of normal mortality as a result of eligible adverse weather conditions •Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP): Provides financial assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease, certain adverse weather events or loss conditions, including blizzards and wildfires, as determined by the USDA secretary •Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP): Assists with eligible grazing losses due to drought •Non-Insured Disaster Assistance Program (NAP): Provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops (who have a policy in place) when low yields, loss of inventory or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters •Emergency Conservation Program (ECP): Provides assistance to repair damage to farmlands caused by natural disasters
For more information, contact your FSA office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov |
