Sep. 27—Some area farmers could find relief from losses caused by the rainy spring after the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently designated 25 Alabama counties, including Morgan, Lawrence and Limestone, as primary natural disaster areas.
Farmers saw higher than normal rainfall throughout the months of May and June. This prevented many farmers from getting all their crops planted during that time. According to Danville farmer and Morgan County Farmers Federation President Mark Byrd, corn, cotton and soybeans are the three crops most affected by the rain.
“I’ve been farming for 43 years, and I’ve never seen this before — not like what we’ve experienced this year,” Byrd said.
Many counties in north Alabama had more than 10 inches of rain accumulation between May and June, with upwards of 15 inches in some areas, according to the National Weather Service in Huntsville.
Farms operating in the 25 designated counties are eligible to apply for Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loan assistance, according to the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries.
It can take farmers between 30 and 45 days to plant all their crops, Byrd said. He was unable to get 25% of his corn crop planted before the crop insurance deadline of May 15.
“Your crop insurance goes down in value every day you go past that date, so initially, what you need to do is stop planting because you need that coverage on the policy to kind of shield you financially in case of a disaster,” Byrd said.
The rain also prevented Lawrence County farmer Garry Davis from seeding all his land. He farms on 1,100 acres, and 100 acres, or 9%, couldn’t be planted before the insurance cut-off. His main crops are corn and soybeans. The crops he did get in the ground were about three weeks delayed.
“Most of (my soybeans) are about half the height that they should be, and there’s nothing really you can do for it,” Davis said. “I haven’t harvested yet, but I’m sure it’s going to be a decrease in what normal yields would be because of the delayed planting.”
Davis plans on looking into the FSA’s emergency assistance program. Farmers have until May 15, 2026, eight months after the USDA’s announcement, to apply for the loans.
In addition to the land that went unplanted and the potentially decreased harvest, profits for soybeans have been down in the last few years.
“The soybean market prices are depressed right now, so it’s going to be like a double whammy this year,” Davis said. “We just have to see how everything comes out at the end.”
With lower crop yield, some farmers may struggle to pay business expenses.
“A farming operation that has annual payments, whether it be on equipment, or land, or anything pertaining to their agricultural business, if you don’t have a crop to raise and sell, then you don’t have the money there to make those payments,” Byrd said.
The emergency assistance can help people to stay caught up on their bills, but businesses could still be in a difficult situation, Byrd said. He believes many farms in the area will apply for assistance.
“Each individual would just have to research and see what would best fit their operation,” Byrd said. “Without (the FSA loans), it would be really bad on the economics of any farming operation.”
Farmers interested in applying can visit fsa.usda.gov/farm-loan-programs for more information. They can also visit their local USDA Service Center.
A Wednesday press release from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries noted the widespread problems caused by this spring’s rain.
“The excessive rain during this year’s planting season impacted over half of Alabama’s counties, causing delays or preventing planting altogether,” Commissioner Rick Pate said. “We recognize the hardships our farmers have faced with the late spring flooding and now the current drought. We encourage them to reach out to their local USDA offices to explore available funding and support.”
— GraciAnn.Goodin@DecaturDaily.com or 256-340-2437