Governor’s Column - August 11, 2006
by Governor Matt Blunt
Monitoring Drought Conditions
Agriculture is the bedrock of Missouri’s economy. As such, it is imperative that we carefully monitor drought conditions this summer as we continue to face a lack of notable rain and oppressive temperatures.
Earlier this month, I requested that Missouri’s Drought Assessment Committee activate to address the impact of the high temperatures and low precipitation levels. In Missouri, the Drought Assessment Committee is responsible for monitoring drought conditions and recommending necessary actions to help control a drought’s potential effects. The committee is comprised of representatives from both state and federal agencies.
According to the Drought Assessment Committee, 15 counties have been determined to be in Phase 1 Advisory Phase, the least serious drought level, meaning that below normal precipitation has occurred for several months. Fifty-eight counties have been listed as Phase 2 Drought Alert indicating that plants have started to show stress, water levels have dropped and precipitation is below normal for several months. Twenty-one western counties are listed as Phase 3 Conservation Phase, meaning streams are dry, and our rivers and lakes are falling below what is expected to occur every 10 years. The most severe drought level in Missouri is Phase 4 Emergency Phase indicating that streams are dry, and rivers and lakes are at record lows. In Phase 4, crops have difficulty recovering and trees begin to wilt.
It is vital that we continue to monitor this year’s drought conditions to ensure that Missouri farmers and eligible counties receive federal assistance. First the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) will have to conduct drought damage assessments in the affected counties, which initiates the federal assistance process. Once I have received the results of those damage assessments from FSA, I send a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture requesting a USDA secretarial disaster declaration for eligible counties. The secretarial disaster declarations would make Missouri farmers eligible for a number of federal assistance programs, such as low interest loans, capital gain deference on livestock sales, and any direct financial assistance that might be made available by the Congress.
Agriculture is the cornerstone of our state’s economy and has an annual economic impact of as much as $27 billion. Last year’s drought took a significant toll on our agricultural sector, particularly in the areas of corn, soybeans and hay, costing our state more than $252 million in lost agricultural production.
A drought is like any other natural disaster in that its destructive nature adversely impacts the livelihood of Missourians. I will be monitoring this situation closely as the summer continues.