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Gov. Phil Bredesen Monday requested a federal designation of agricultural disaster for 28 counties, including Blount, to help farmers who have suffered crop and
livestock losses as a result of persistent drought conditions.

A designation from USDA would allow qualifying farmers to receive federal farm disaster assistance that could help them manage losses and plan for next year. Bredesen made the request in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer.

“Farmers in these areas have suffered two and sometimes three years in a row of difficult growing seasons due to lingering drought conditions,” said Bredesen.
“Anytime you have this kind of long-term impact to agriculture, it makes it doubly hard for farmers to keep farming and make ends meet. We want to ensure that our state’s farmers have access to any assistance that will help them manage through this agricultural disaster.”

The counties include: Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Cannon, Coffee, Fentress, Franklin, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Henry, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Polk, Scott, Unicoi, Warren, Washington and Weakley.

Farmers in these counties have reported crop losses, as much as 35 to 70 percent, due to below normal rainfall, low water levels and a cumulative rainfall deficit that has carried over from last year. In some areas of the state the rainfall deficit for the year is 12 inches or more and portions of East Tennessee remain under extreme drought conditions. The lack of rainfall has affected major crops including corn, soybeans, tobacco and hay, as well as some nursery and fruit and vegetable crops.

Although early season hay production was much improved from last year, agriculture officials are expecting late season hay production to be significantly reduced. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service last week rated nearly three-fourths of the state’s pastures as in very poor to fair condition.

Once a county is approved, eligible farmers can apply for a variety of federal farm disaster programs including supplemental farm revenue payments, livestock assistance and low-interest emergency loans through their local USDA Farm Service Agency office.