Weather weirdness has become the new normal for Mississippi farmers this spring as they watch for forecasts of warm, dry days they would routinely expect in most years. Even before temperatures in the low 40s or even lower combined with the near daily rainfall, planting averages were falling far below last year’s levels and levels [...] [...]
On June 2, the Associated Press issued a news release that pegged the state’s potential agriculture losses due the historic Mississippi River flood at $250 million-plus. It was the first hard figure yet given for Mississippi farmers’ flood-related losses. The AP piece cited the Governor’s Office as the source of the figure. Since the release, [...] [...]
Farmers facing record heat, lack of rain One year after being rained out of their fields and suffering the worst planting season in a half-century, Mississippi’s farmers are now frying in them. The prolonged, record temperatures and lack of rain have many wondering if the agriculture community facing another disaster. “That’s hard for me to [...] [...]
Federal and state aid possible for producers Just a handful of weeks ago, it looked as if Mississippi’s farming community would see no assistance to offset the severe crop losses suffered last year. They were looking at swallowing losses estimated at nearly $500 million — the worst loss in a half-century — on their own. [...] [...]
Agriculture in Mississippi is an almost after thought these days in Washington. Despite the fact that Mississippi farmers lost nearly $500 million last year because of torrential rains and floods, policy makers in Washington do not feel the need to provide aid. In an exclusive story in today’s Mississippi Business Journal, the agriculture relief backers [...] [...]
Hopes for government help dwindling Stephen Bailey, a young sweet potato grower in Vardaman, suffered a 50-60 percent crop loss last year due to adverse weather that devastated his farm as it did the state’s entire farming community. Yet, he counts himself as fortunate. He knows it could be worse. “I had a friend who [...] [...]
Crop damage estimated at nearly $500M John Anderson looked out his car window and surveyed yet another flooded field of soybeans. An agriculture economist at Mississippi State University, Anderson knows well the current crop loss estimates — in late October, he and colleague Dr. John Michael Riley figured it at approximately $371 million, or 23 [...] [...]
Loading ...