Drought punishes crops in US South
Pastor Dale Morgan
Drought punishes crops in US South*
Posted 9/15/2006
By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY
CENTRE, Ala. — It's finally raining here this week, and every drop is
falling like cruel irony on the stunted crops that Randall and Nick
McMichen have managed to coax from their drought-parched fields.
"Three weeks ago, we were wishing for rain," says Nick McMichen, 36, who
farms 1,200 acres with his father, Randall, 59. "Now, we're not wanting
rain. Any rain now would be detrimental for our crops. A hurricane was
what we needed in July. In years past, the active hurricane season has
meant good rain for us. But this is just too little, too late."
The McMichens, who are growing cotton and soybeans this year, are seeing
their worst harvests in more than two decades. The soybeans are yielding
about 15 bushels an acre, compared with 60 last year, while the cotton
crop will be about 40% of an average year, they say. "I think (the
drought of) 1980 might have been a little worse," Randall McMichen says.
"That's kind of the benchmark for comparing droughts," his son adds.
The McMichens and thousands of other farmers in Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana and parts of Georgia and the Florida Panhandle have been
hammered by the drought that began at the end of last year's hurricane
season, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln,
Neb. Despite the rain that seemed almost to mock the McMichens this
week, the drought is far from over.
Hard-hit Southeast
"It is widespread in the Southeast," says Brian Fuchs, a climatologist
at the center. "Over the last several weeks, there's been a worsening of
drought severity. We're seeing more of the region being classified as
drought conditions, and even a few pockets of extreme drought conditions."
Ranchers in parts of western Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming and central
and southern Texas also are still experiencing drought conditions, Fuchs
says.
It was one of the worst years in decades for wheat farmers in Texas,
Oklahoma and Kansas.
In August, corn farmers in Iowa, Nebraska and western Missouri were
bedeviled by rain shortages and temperatures topping 100 degrees.
"The corn crop was just burning up," Fuchs says.
Northern Minnesota remains parched despite heavy rain last month
elsewhere in the state. Officials declared 36 counties agricultural
disaster areas. Forest fire danger is high, and lake and stream levels
are the lowest in years.
Soybean farmers in the Southwest, Plains and Midwest have gotten relief
with rainfall in the past four to five weeks.
Not so here in Alabama.
The state already has lost 90% of its corn crop and expects to lose
about 75% of the cotton crop, says Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron
Sparks. "We've got to have some help," he says, referring to a $6.5
billion drought disaster assistance bill that Congress is considering
for farmers and ranchers.
Agriculture in Alabama is a $5.5 billion industry, accounting for
467,000 jobs, 21% of the state's workforce. "This is serious business
for us," Sparks says. "It's our No. 1 industry. It's in all 67 counties,
and all 67 counties have been declared disaster areas."
In this part of northeast Alabama, rainfall has been significantly below
normal since October. Some towns have reported rainfall totals almost
50% below normal.
Those totals have spelled bad news for farmers here, says David Derrick,
agronomy agent for northeast Alabama for the Alabama Cooperative
Extension Service. "You expect a drought every three, four or five
years," he says. "But you hardly ever have a drought where all the crops
are affected. Almost everything is just a bust this year."
The drought isn't just hurting farmers, Derrick says. "It'll affect
probably the agricultural equipment industry, chemical and seed
distributors first," he says. "It'll affect all businesses."
Impact felt citywide
Centre's mayor, Phil Powell, says farmers' plight has been a major
concern in the city of 24,000. "I hope it's not as bad as they're
predicting," he says. "Farming has a tremendous impact on the community."
Cotton even grows in the city limits, and like all the other cotton here
that isn't irrigated, it's only about knee-high. It should be chest-high
this time of year.
One afternoon this week, as raindrops keep a staccato beat on the tin
roof of their farm shed, the McMichens talk about the drought and the
perils of the modern farmer.
In addition to nature, they're resisting the encroachment of exurbanites
moving out from Atlanta, Birmingham, Ala., and Chattanooga, Tenn..
Randall McMichen has been farming here in Cherokee County for 38 years,
Nick for 16. Like farmers everywhere who manage to endure the vagaries
of nature, they know they have to set aside some of the profits in flush
years to tide them over during lean times.
Four of the past five years have been good, they say, so they'll get
through this year — although without a profit. They just hope next year
is better.
Nick McMichen says his son, Matt, who's almost 3, loves to hang out at
the farm with his father and grandfather.
"Farming's all my dad's ever done," he says. "It's all I ever hope to
do. I certainly hope that farming is still profitable and that my son
can do it. We would love to pass the farm on to him. But we couldn't
survive another" drought next year.