Assistance sought for Bay State tobacco farmers
In Franklin County, tobacco farmers lost their entire crop. Corn growers in Norfolk County saw 83 percent of the value of their crop destroyed. In Essex County, strawberry growers could not bring more than 35 percent of their crop to market.
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The summer’s steady rains and cool weather combined to ravage everything from tomatoes to potatoes on farms statewide.
As a result, Governor Deval Patrick yesterday asked federal officials to declare most of Massachusetts a disaster zone for agricultural production losses, which are expected to amount to tens of millions of dollars.
“To say the least, it’s been a challenging year for many farmers,’’ said Scott Soares, commissioner of the state Department of Agricultural Resources. “We’ve seen a significant number of farmers taking a loss.’’
Kent Politsch, a spokesman for the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, said it is likely the agency will designate much of Massachusetts a disaster area.
He said the state estimates it lost more than 30 percent of the value of its tomato crop, about 50 percent of the value of its corn crops, and nearly 100 percent of the tobacco crop. He could not provide a more precise estimate for the losses, but noted that the state’s tobacco crop would have had an estimated value of $17 million.
In a letter seeking assistance from the US Department of Agriculture, Patrick noted that June was the second wettest June on record in Massachusetts. The damp conditions produced destructive pathogens, such as early blight and late blight, which hit crops at hundreds of farms across the state.
“It’s important to recognize that the disaster declaration is not a silver bullet, but it’s an important part of the toolbox for farmers to dig themselves out of the hole,’’ Soares said.
The assistance would guarantee the state’s farmers access to low-interest loans to cover all production, removal, and replanting costs associated with lost crops, up to $500,000.
Federal officials yesterday had yet to approve the request, which sought assistance for Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Worcester counties. It could be weeks before a decision is made.
Politsch said the disaster designation is a relatively routine decision. The department designated Barnstable, Suffolk, Middlesex, and Worcester counties disaster areas last year after droughts and extreme heat hit them in 2007.
“Agricultural disasters are quite common,’’ he said. “One-half to two-thirds of the counties in the US have been declared disaster areas in each of the past several years.’’
The financial losses from the soggy summer hit farmers unevenly throughout the state.
Some cooperative farms – those where people pay in advance for a share of the crop – were able to spread their losses.
The Lindentree Farm in Lincoln lost 2,000 tomato plants, but the losses were spread among the 275 members of its cooperative, each of whom prepaid for the crops. “It was a very painful loss, but we have a certain cushion,’’ said Moira Kurtz, the owner.
The Blue Heron Organic Farm in Lincoln was not as fortunate.
With nearly all its heirloom tomatoes, pumpkins, and winter squash destroyed, the farm expects to lose about $30,000 this year – a big hit for the 7-acre site, which sells much of its crop to local restaurants.
“I’ve never seen anything like this – a season where you lose your main crop,’’ said Ellery Kimball, the farm’s owner.
She said she will probably seek the low-interest loans if they become available.
“It would be awesome,’’ she said. “We can use the help.’’
David Abel can be reached at dabel@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
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By Les, November 27, 2009 @ 3:49 am
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