News Release 12-19-2002 |
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DROUGHT ASSISTANCE UPDATE West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass recently
renewed calls for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare
a drought emergency for 50 West Virginia counties hit hard by a
dry spell late this summer. U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller also recently wrote U.S. Secretary
of Agriculture Anne Veneman, requesting that West Virginia be certified
as a drought emergency area. Governor Bob Wise made a formal request
for a disaster designation earlier in the year. “Many other states around West Virginia have received certification
to apply for assistance, but USDA has not yet added any West Virginia
counties to the list,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus
R. Douglass. “We are very hopeful that the USDA will take notice of the
losses suffered by West Virginia farmers this summer and that assistance
will be forthcoming,” added Commissioner Douglass. “The
state has taken all the steps needed to be considered for federal
assistance and I’m cautiously optimistic that we’ll see
something happen next year. I have been assured that the reports
sent to Secretary Veneman’s office all look fine, and that
we could be approved at any time.” Farms and communities throughout West Virginia were hard hit by
a late summer hot spell that quickly dried up ponds, streams and
wells. The lack of moisture scorched already marginal pastures,
and many farmers were forced to sell off livestock early, or purchase
supplemental feed. In early September, Commissioner Douglass requested that USDA’s
local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices undertake drought surveys
in each West Virginia county to determine the extent of the damage. According to those FSA surveys - conducted by local agricultural
experts - West Virginia has at least a 30 percent loss in at least
one crop in the 50 counties submitted to USDA for emergency designation.
Thirty percent loss in one crop is the minimum requirement to be
eligible for aid. Types of possible aid include low-interest loans or direct payments to offset financial losses.
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©2001, 2002 West Virginia Department of Agriculture, All Rights Reserved |
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