'Spotty' rainfall leaves Rockingham dry

Nov 14, 2008      The Reidsville Review

Mike Ryan

Nov. 14, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Drought and extreme heat hit Rockingham County in 2008.

Neil Burnette is executive director of the Rockingham County Farm Service Agency. He said the county was in extreme drought in April, but that status bounced from severe to moderate throughout the summer.

Meteorologist Jim Hudgins of the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Va., said a station in Reidsville estimated this year's total precipitation for the city at 38.39 inches. Hudgins said April's precipitation was just 1.26 inches, well below its average. By comparison, Reidsville has already received 1.27 inches this month.

According to http://www.idcide.com, the annual average precipitation in Reidsville is 46.92 inches, and the rainfall is "fairly evenly distributed throughout the year." Burnette said that has not been the case in 2008.

"Rainfall last year basically didn't come anywhere. This year it's been spotty," he said. "However, for farmers in some parts of the county, it is just as bad this year as in 2007."

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture granted Gov. Mike Easley's request to have 59 counties, including Rockingham, designated as disaster areas due to crop losses.

The declaration makes farm operators in primary and contiguous counties eligible for assistance from the U.S. Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met. Assistance includes low-interest emergency loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program approved as part of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008.

Burnette said the main criteria for a farmer to be eligible for assistance is to have had all 2008 crops insured. Burnette said few farmers in the county are eligible.

"Buying in back then was a gamble," he said. "You didn't know if you would get any return or not."

Quite a few farmers did buy in for grazing losses, however. In either case, the deadline to meet was Sept. 16.

With current interest rates as low as they are, Burnette said he does not know if the emergency loans will be an advantage for farmers. In fact, at times the emergency rate can wind up being higher than the standard rate.

"There's not much help for those without insurance," Burnette said. "In farming at this point, you have to take measures to protect yourself."

Burnette said last year's drought was more widespread, but there will be similar losses this year. Although tobacco was probably the worst-hit crop, he said corn and soybean crops had significant losses as well.

"You can't make generalizations for the county. Losses vary by individual, depending on what stage a crop was at and when it received rain," Burnette said. He said some crops did well if they got a shower at the right time.

Details as to the specifics of the assistance program and how it will pay out are still a few months away. Burnette said help is coming, he just does not know how much or when.

For more information, farmers should contact the FSA office in their county. A complete list of the county offices is available at fsa.usda.gov. The Rockingham County office can be reached at 342-0460.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0292-29578105

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