Amber Betts, WSDA Communications
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Washington's wheat crop is expected to show reduction in yield due to the drought this year. |
In what looked like a promising year for snowpack,
agriculture producers around Washington were hopeful this year would see
adequate water supply resulting in healthy crop yields and a productive year. The
spring season came and left with little to no rain, causing great concern especially
for dryland producers.
Dryland producers are primarily in Eastern Washington state
and are without irrigation to rely on to water their crops or feed their
animals.
Our agricultural growers are telling WSDA that they are
already experiencing yield reduction and other effects that could reduce
revenues. Livestock producers also report having to buy feed sooner than
expected, likely at a higher price tag, because grazing lands are drying up.
At WSDA, we work to ensure our federal and state partners hear
the concerns of our ag producers. And the message was heard loud and clear.
In late June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a
federal drought declaration for 14
primary and 10 contiguous counties in Washington. USDA’s drought monitor
tool continued to monitor Washington state’s water supply and on July 6
triggered seven
more primary and four more contiguous counties as disaster areas due to
drought.
Then, last week, on July 14, Washington’s Department of
Ecology declared a drought
emergency for most of the state.
Declaring a drought means more than just acknowledging the
hardship our producers are facing, it opens up opportunities for our
agriculture partners to access programs, services, and funding to help
alleviate the hardship caused by drought.
Ecology is able to expedite emergency drought permits,
process temporary transfers of water rights, hold public education workshops and
provide funding assistance for public entities, including irrigation districts.
Ecology is currently in the process of identifying needs and potential funding.
The federal
declaration means dryland farmers in the counties the disaster was declared
allows for emergency loans that can be used to help the producer recover from
this drought. Loans can be used for replacing equipment or livestock, or to
reorganize the farming operation, or to refinance other debts. USDA’s Farm
Service Agency also manages relief programs including the livestock forage
program, where producers are eligible for payments to assist in buying feed for
their livestock and the tree assistance program, as well as crop insurance.
If you think you may qualify for federal assistance, visit
USDA’s disaster
assistance discovery tool. You can also visit WSDA’s drought
information webpage for more on available resources.