Bredesen Requests Federal Farm Assistance for 16 Tennessee Counties

NASHVILLE - Governor Phil Bredesen today requested a federal designation of natural disaster for agriculture for 16 counties across Tennessee as a result of excessive rain and flooding that occurred in September and October.

“A disaster designation will help make federal assistance available to farmers who experienced significant crop losses due to heavy rains and flooding this fall,” said Bredesen. “I’m glad to make this request and hope it will help lessen the impact of the damage that has been sustained during harvest.”

Bredesen made the request this week in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. The 16 counties include: Bradley, Chester, Cumberland, Hamilton, Hardeman, Lauderdale, Macon, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Polk, Rhea, Shelby, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson.

A disaster designation would make farmers in these and adjoining counties eligible to apply for assistance through their local USDA Farm Service Agency. Qualifying farmers are eligible for emergency loans and supplemental farm payments as provided by the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008.

Farmers in these counties have reported crop losses ranging from 10 to 50 percent for major commodities including corn, soybeans, cotton and tobacco. Some counties have reported receiving record rainfall of as much as 10 to 12 inches during what are normally the driest months of the year.

Although USDA is projecting significantly higher yields for most major Tennessee crops as compared to the previous two drought years, the heavy rains and flooding have hurt yields and contributed to quality losses including rotting, mold and other disease problems. Vegetable growers in the Cumberland Plateau and East Tennessee regions have also reported unseasonably cool temperatures that have compounded moisture problems in green beans, squash, pumpkins and other specialty crops.

Statewide, harvest for most crops are three to four weeks behind the five-year average due to the unusually wet weather according to the Tennessee Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. For the latest crop forecast and a weekly report on crop conditions across the state, visit www.nass.usda.gov/tn. The U.S. Department of Agriculture makes this report available each Monday at 3 p.m., April through November.