Tuesday, June 18th, 2019
Governor seeks USDA disaster declaration due to ongoing rain
By Leslie Gartrell
COLUMBUS - Ohio's governor is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare Ohio a disaster area due to the heavy rainfall that has prevented farmers from planting their crops.
Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday sent a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue requesting a disaster designation for Ohio amid this year's heavy rainfall.
In his letter, DeWine mentions that record rainfall through the spring planting season has been unkind to farmers, with flooding and saturated fields preventing them from planting crops. Only 50% of Ohio's corn crop and 32% of Ohio's soybean crop have been planted as of June 10, according to a news release from DeWine's office.
The letter is a formal request for a USDA disaster declaration for Ohio so assistance can be made available to farmers.
The disaster designation request will cover all of Ohio, governor's spokesman Dan Tierney said. Farm Service Agency county offices will then assemble required agricultural loss information and then, pending approval, counties will be approved or disapproved for eligibility.
"The harsh reality for Ohio farmers is that many acres will remain unplanted," DeWine wrote to Perdue. "In addition, our dairy and livestock sectors face a serious forage and feed shortage due to hay winter kill and the inability to harvest hay due to excessive rain. The inability to plant spring crops will further complicate this matter for Ohio farmers."
Tierney did not know what kind of assistance would be available if the disaster designation were approved.
