Thursday, August 4, 2005
Contact: Spence Jackson or Jessica Robinson, (573) 751-0290
Blunt Tours Drought Stricken Areas
Discusses Drought with Missouri Farm Families
JEFFERSON CITY—Today Gov. Matt Blunt and state Department of Agriculture Director Fred Ferrell toured Missouri farms that have been crippled by this summer’s drought.
"It is difficult to understand the devastating impact of drought until you see it first hand. Drought is a natural disaster that can damage farming operations every bit as much as a tornado or a flood," Blunt said. "I want Missouri’s hardworking farm families to know that I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure they have access to all available resources to help surmount these difficulties."
Blunt has activated Missouri’s Drought Assessment Committee and asked the USDA Farm Service Agency to complete crop damage assessment reports for every Missouri County. Once these assessments are complete, the governor will formally request USDA secretarial disaster declarations for eligible counties, making federal assistance available to farmers in those counties.
Blunt and Ferrell visited farms in Boone, Adair, Marion, Jasper and Greene Counties.
"Everywhere we visited it was evident that we will need more than a few inches of rain to recover from this drought. Damage to row crops across the state is extensive and the heavy burden that has been placed upon our livestock producers is unsustainable," Ferrell said. "Our governor has already taken the important steps needed in being instrumental in sustaining our farm families through this challenging time."
Conditions continue to worsen across much of Missouri with 105 counties now in various phases of drought. Missouri’s Drought Assessment Committee has categorized 30 Missouri counties in the drought conservation phase. Another 35 counties are under a drought alert, and 40 are under a drought advisory.
Some of the impacts Blunt witnessed today include severely reduced crop yields of both corn and soybeans and scorched pastures. He also heard farmers’ reports of early hay feeding to livestock, dried up ponds, and livestock stress, with some livestock and poultry death losses due to extreme heat.
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