The hot, dry summer is threatening at least half of the grain crop in Western and Central Maryland, the head of the U.S. Agriculture Department's Maryland Emergency Board said yesterday, as he compiled the grim numbers that could qualify much of the state for federal disaster relief.
"It's very critical," said James M. Voss, head of the emergency board and executive director of the federal Farm Service Agency in Columbia, referring to the damage in Frederick, Carroll and Washington counties.
"As things stand now, farmers in those counties stand to lose half of their corn crops and between 45 and 60 percent of their soybean harvests. If they don't get rain between now and the first of next month, a lot more damage will be done."
The trouble hits more than just grain farmers. Vegetable growers in Washington County, for instance, expect to lose at least 90 percent of their crop, and Central Maryland dairy farmers could be forced to pay more for hay from outside sources to replace their own harvests.
Crop surveys done on Friday indicated that damage varies greatly from county to county, Voss said.
"In Southern Maryland," he said, "the situation is pretty good. They have no losses in Calvert or St. Mary's counties. The same for the lower Eastern Shore. The reports show no losses in Somerset, Wicomico or Worcester counties."
Voss said the results of the "flash" damage reports he released yesterday are the first step toward asking President Clinton or Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman for disaster designation.
Such a designation could lead to low-interest federal loans to farmers to help them recover from their failed harvests.
Voss described the "flash" reports from each county as "a quick heads-up assessment of what's going on out in the field." He said he will probably ask for another round of reports on Aug. 1 and if they show no major improvement he will request a more detailed "damage assessment report."
The more detailed reports, which Voss said will include dollar assessments of damage, could be ready in mid-August. They are what Gov. Parris N. Glendening would use in asking Washington for federal relief.
"Right now we are looking at a disaster," said Terry Poole, the University of Maryland cooperative extension agent in Frederick County. "If we don't get some meaningful rain soon it will be classified as a catastrophe."
Poole said that Frederick County farmers had been comparing this year's drought with the one in 1966, but "now they are saying you have to go back to the 1950s to remember a comparable drought."
Voss compares field conditions with 1993, when a drought robbed farmers in Southern Maryland and the lower Eastern Shore of 75 percent to 80 percent of their corn and soybean harvests. "It's not that severe, not yet anyway."
"But it's getting close to that," added Steve Peterson, the Farm Service Agency's program specialist and the person responsible for collecting the crop damage reports."
Bryan Butler, the extension agent in Carroll County, said that pastures have dried up, forcing livestock farmers to tap into hay supplies they wouldn't normally be feeding to animals until late fall.
Butler said some farmers in his area have already written off their corn crops and chopped them up for use as silage. "There is no ear on the corn," he said, "and it won't have nearly as much nutrient, but it's better than nothing."
Washington County reports that it expects to lose almost all of its vegetable harvest -- sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, tomatoes and snap beans.
County officials could not be reached for comment, but Butler said he thought these were the crops of Amish and Mennonite farmers who did not irrigate their vegetable fields. "This is produce that would have been sold at roadside stands," he said.
Voss said the drought is most severe in the dairy-producing counties of Central Maryland.
Crop loss in Maryland
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Percentage .. ..loss
County .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .Corn .. .. .. .Soybn
A. Arundel .. .. .. .. .. .. .25 .. .. .. .. ..0
Baltimore .. .. .. .. .. .. ..30 .. .. .. ... .0
Caroline .. .. .. .. .. .. ...25 .. .. .. .. .10
Carroll .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .50 .. .. .. .. .45
Charles .. .. .... .. .. .. ..25 .. .. .. .. ..0
Dorchester .. .. .. .. .. .. .20 .. .. .. .. .15
Frederick .. .. .. .. .. .. ..50 .. .. .. .. .50
Harford .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .30 .. .. .. .. ..0
Howard .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..30 .. .. .. .. .30
Kent .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .35 .. .. .. .. .20
Montgomery .. ... .. .. .. ...40 .. .. .. .. .25
Pr. George's .. .. .. .. .. ..25 .. .. .. .. ..0
Qu. Anne's .. .. .. .. .. .. .45 .. .. .. .. .20
St. Mary's .. .. .. .. .. .. ..0 .. .. .. .. ..0
Somerset .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .0 .. .. .. .. ..0
Talbot .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..25 .. .. .. .. .20
Washington .. .. .. .. .. .. .50 .. .. .. .. .60
Wicomoco .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .0 .. .. .. .. ..0
Worcester .. .. .. .. .. .. ...0 .. .. .. .. ..0
As of July 18
Source: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
Pub Date: 7/23/97
