LEWIS —
Vigo County farmer Phil Carter says he has “given up” on his corn crop, but still holds out hope for his soybeans.
Reflecting that situation, Vigo County on Wednesday was added to a list of Indiana counties declared a natural disaster by the U.S. Department of Agriculture because of drought and heat conditions.
Carter farms about 1,200 acres north of Lewis, with half of that acreage planted in corn.
“I have corn that will be zero yield. There are kernels out there, but I don’t even think we will be able to get them with a combine,” Carter said Wednesday.
“I will have some other corn that yield better, but now I don’t think it will be as good as I thought it was going to be a couple weeks ago. Without any rain, the kernels will not fill out,” Carter said.
His concern with soybeans is that the plants are blooming, “but are not setting out any pods. Any pods on them, the beans in them are not filling out. Even if we do get a rain, it has to be several rains. One rain will not make beans,” Carter said.
“If we get an inch of rain right now, the next day you would never know it, as dry as it is,” Carter said. “It is extremely critical for beans. I have given up on the corn, but keep hoping on beans.”
While meteorologists often refer to 1988 as the most recent dry weather year, Carter said 1983 had been the worse previous year for him. But this year tops that by far with severe drought conditions and hot days, he said. Thermometers hit 105 degrees in Vigo County on Wednesday.
“We have crop insurance so I can sleep at night, so it is not devastating. But every day and the longer this goes on, the more depressing it gets. It really does,” Carter said of the drought and hot weather.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday declared a natural disaster in 14 more of Indiana’s 92 counties, including Vigo and Vermillion counties, bringing the total number to 64 counties in the state. That declaration allows farmers to qualify for low-interest relief loans from the federal government.
Carter said for most farmers, the low-interest federal loans are available only if a bank declines a loan. Instead, Carter said he would like to see a reinstatement of the 2008 Farm Bill of a permanent disaster program for commodity crops called SURE — Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program. The program expired with 2011 crops.
“It was a direct payment that was based on actual losses, actual yield losses in field crops,” Carter said of SURE.
“They are debating a new farm bill, which is being held up in the [U.S.] House by political stunts the two parties are playing. And, meanwhile, we are burning up out here,” he said of his crops. “We need a new farm bill.”
Reporter Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.
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Related Photos
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Exceptions: Vigo County farmer Phil Carter displays an ear of corn on the edge of one of his fields. He said along the edges there were a few ears like this but just a few rows in there was little to no pollination.
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Nothing there: Vigo County farmer Phil Carter displays an ear of corn that didn�t pollinate. The vast majority of his fields are like that, leading him to expect a zero yield this fall.
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Destroyed: The stubble of corn stalks stick up from a southern Vigo County cornfield Wednesday July 25, 2012. Many farmers are cutting down or plowing under drought stricken cornfields.
Discussion
Vigo and Vermillion counties added to state’s drought disaster list
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