August 1, 2007

Summer dries up corn crops in Virginia, Maryland

Farmers in the US states of Virginia and Maryland say this year's summer has the makings of an agricultural disaster as it devastated massive corn crops in these areas.

Corn-crop losses were worst in Southern Maryland and on the lower Eastern Shore devastating 30 to 70 percent of yields while 80 percent of the crops were hard hit in Southwestern Virginia.

Livestock breeders were forced to feed their animals with the expensive but less nutritious hay as grass pastures have dried in the heat. Unless it starts raining soon, some farmers might have to source hay imports from other regions or just slaughter their animals, according to Earl F. "Buddy" Hance, Maryland's deputy secretary of agriculture.

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley (D) has asked the US Department of Agriculture to declare a disaster area in Maryland counties hurt by the drought which could render the state low-interest loans. Virginia has also petitioned for the designation.

Thunderstorms have been less frequent this year, said Greg Schoor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Average rainfall the past two months has been far below normal. From June 1 to July 30, Reagan National Airport received 3.78 inches of rain. Normally, the airport gets 6.68 inches in that period, Schoor said. Since January, the airport has recorded 17.57 inches of rain, rather than the normal 22.71 inches.

The result is clear on the Agriculture Department's weekly Drought Monitor map: As of July 24, 69.5 percent of Virginia and 75.4 percent of Maryland were considered to be in moderate, severe or extreme drought.