Lt. Governor Carney, Sec. Scuse Assess Crop Damage On Tour Of Sussex Farms
Newark - Lt. Governor John Carney and Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse today toured four farms in Sussex County to assess local crop damage as a result of drought conditions. The tour allowed Lt. Governor Carney and Secretary Scuse to get a first hand view of some of Sussex County's most impacted areas.
"Farmers went into this year with high hopes because of the high prices of corn and soy beans," said Lt. Governor Carney, "Those hopes have been dashed by the damage caused by high temperatures and a lack of rain. The farms we went to today grow primarily corn, soy beans, and lima beans, and to see their production so low is discouraging. Agriculture is a major part of Delaware's economy, and when the farmers hit tough times like this, it hurts the entire state."
The tour's stops included Bill Vanderwende's farm in Greenwood, Jeff Allen's farm in Bridgeville, the Magee farm in Selbyville, and Don Clifton's farm near Milton.
Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency is investigating the impact this summer's drought has had on counties in Delaware. According to the USDA, if 35% or more of a county's crop is lost due to drought, that county may be eligible for a federal drought disaster declaration, making farmers in that county eligible for low-interest federal loans.
"From what we saw today, I don't think there's any doubt that we'll be eligible for federal drought relief," said Sec. Scuse. "I can assure you that we will do everything we can to help Delaware's farmers through these tough times."
The Delaware State Emergency Board will meet on August 14th to discuss the extent of the damage caused by this summer's drought conditions.
For more information on today's tour, please call Doug Gramiak at (302) 577-8787 or Anne Fitzgerald (302) 698-4520.
