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Drought Turns Half Of US, Half of All Countries Into Disaster Areas – Govt Adds 218 Counties To List
"… afflicted ranchers have been given access to 3.8 million acres of conservation land to feed their animals and farmers are being paid to take land out of production to prevent erosion and create wildlife habitat.”
In the midst of one of the worst droughts in history, 218 counties were added to the US government’s list of natural disaster areas, putting nearly half of all counties in a state of agricultural catastrophe.
1,584 US counties in 32 states are now designated primary disaster areas, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The department uses a weekly drought monitor to form its list. This week, the USDA found that nearly half of the nation’s corn crop and 37 percent of its soybean crop was rated “poor” or “very poor.”
Three quarters of the country’s cattle are in areas affected by the drought.
Counties that are considered a natural disaster area make its famers and ranchers eligible for federal aid, including low-interest emergency loans, the Associated Press reports.
Additionally, afflicted ranchers have been given access to 3.8 million acres of conservation land to feed their animals and farmers are being paid to take land out of production to prevent erosion and create wildlife habitat.
“The assistance announced today will help US livestock producers dealing with climbing feed prices, critical shortages of hay and deteriorating pasturelands,”said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
