(Chatham) — Pittsylvania County is taking the first step to help local farmers dealing with a significant drought.
The Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously declared a drought disaster. County Extension Agent Steve Barts says a six-week stretch of very little rainfall has taken it’s toll. “This drought has already had quite an effect on both our field crops and forage crops county-wide,” Barts said. “Some areas have been affected more than others.”
All of the county is in a moderate drought according to the latest drought monitor. The northern half of the county is listed D-two for a severe drought. The next step will be for the county to draw up a loss assessment survey. “If the findings of that loss assessment are within certain parameters, the state will issue a drought declaration,” Barts said. “I can assure you that the losses are within those parameters.”
Barts says the drought disaster declaration will clear the way for a similar declaration from the state to make farmers eligible for low interest loans to cover drought-related crop losses. “If we move into the D-3 category at all, and it doesn’t matter if its only for 15 minutes, that triggers the Livestock Indemnity Program, which would allow producers to recoup some of the losses from the US Department of Agriculture.”
This is the county’s first drought disaster declaration in two years.