Drought Gives 89 Counties Federal Emergency Status

The decision was prompted by requests from Gov. Mike Easley. Before the announcement, 54 counties in the state had emergency status.

Farmers now can request monetary help from the federal government, said John Johnson, USDA deputy administrator for farm programs.

About 90 percent of the state's approximately 56,000 farmers were affected by the drought, said N.C. Deputy State Statistician Craig Hayes.

He said some farmers who apply will be eligible for federal emergency loans and the Livestock Compensation Program, which gives livestock producers set payments for their cattle.

"The Livestock Compensation Program is a very valuable form of assistance for producers in these counties," Hayes said.

State officials said the aid will be beneficial to farmers because of the extent of damage from the drought.

"We've had a horrendous year for farming," said Peter Daniel, assistant to the president of the N.C. Farm Bureau.

The Farm Bureau worked with the USDA and the N.C. Department of Agriculture to secure the emergency relief funds.

Farmers, their crops and their livestock suffered greatly from recent weather extremes and now are facing financial ruin, Daniel said. Farmers often are forced to compete with the needs of small towns for things like water, resulting in the spreading of resources at a time when few are available.

"We've been under drought stress for the last five years," he said.

But Daniel added that he thinks the increased opportunities for aid have their drawbacks. He said it might be difficult for farmers to qualify for money because of the stringent application process.

"It's a good first step to declare the counties disaster areas," he said. "But the programs are cumbersome to access."

Despite the extra effort needed, Johnson said, he thinks the relief aid for farmers will prove to be worthwhile because many state farmers were unable to harvest enough hay this year to feed their livestock.

North Carolina farmers also will have increased access to the Hay Alert program. It was designed as a stand-alone program to help provide hay to cattle farmers for their livestock, said program coordinator Joseph Reardon.

"Basically, we were designed to help the farmers through the drought this summer," Reardon said. "These farmers are in dire need of hay."

Hay Alert has delivered more than 170 loads of hay to farmers who can't provide for their livestock, though Reardon said there is still a high demand.

He stressed that for counties eligible for aid, the effects of the drought have been especially severe. "We've done everything we can, and the demand (for aid) is still going through the roof."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.