Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Experts Say Drought Has Damaging Results
Experts indicate that extended drought conditions in the area have resulted in considerable damages to local crops.
Locally, officials indicate that Lawrence County is in need of more than a foot of rain in order to improve persistent drought conditions that are leading to an exceptionally unprofitable year for area farmers. At this point eighty percent of local crops, Lawrence County Agriculture Extension Agency Director Calvin Bryant said, are in poor-to-very-poor condition. (A heavy freeze that came late this year is also considered a culprit in this year’s poor crop production.)
With hay yields down by at least a third throughout the county, and farmers struggling to feed and water cattle, Lawrence County Stockyard representatives indicate that cattle sales have been on the increase. The business is currently handling approximately 1/3 more volume of cattle sales than in pre-drought days.
Although there will be less locally-grown produce available, experts say that the drought should not affect most consumers, since the Midwest has been privy to a relatively wet year.
Even the drought, however, is not without it’s benefits. Officials indicate that dry conditions have resulted in a lowered mosquito population this year, as well as other pests. In addition, the dry conditions are leaving produce growers fewer battles with fungal diseases.
The U.S. Drought Monitor classifies the local drought as “extreme” to “exceptional,” while the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has placed Tennessee at the highest level on it’s Drought Severity Index.
While the Palmer Drought Severity Index indicates that we are in need of between 9 and 12 inches of rain to bring the local index back to a -0.5 level, use of the NOAA Drought Calculator indicates that we are in need of between 18.01 and 29.7 inches of rain in order to “end current drought conditions.”
The U.S. Seasonal Outlook for June through August predicts that current drought conditions will “persist,” however experts are quick to point out that drought elimination is “greatly dependent upon tropical storm activity,” a commodity which is extremely unpredictable.
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