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Vilsack seeks federal
assessment of crop damage
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)--Gov. Tom Vilsack said June 7 he asked the Farm Service Agency to survey the extent of crop losses from recent flash flooding and tornadoes.
"My hope is that we get a relatively prompt response to our request so that our agricultural losses can be quantified to allow opportunities for the federal government to help farmers negatively impacted by recent storms," Vilsack said.
The FSA, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, moved quickly by sending a directive to counties June 3, giving them a deadline of June 16 to file damage assessments.
The county FSA officials work with crop insurers, disaster services officers and local county extension workers to estimate the percentage of crops destroyed by storms or flooding.
Agriculture officials will take a five-year average of acres planted, a five-year average of yields and the three-year average for prices to compute losses, said Brad Parks, a spokesman at Iowa Agriculture Statistics Service which helps tabulate the damage estimates.
Strong storms packing high wind, hail, tornadoes and heavy rain over four days beginning May 21 caused millions of dollars in property damage and flash flooding.
The National Weather Service said last month was the fourth wettest May on record with the statewide rainfall average at 7.86 inches.
It was the wettest May for Mason City with 12.52 inches of rain and Waterloo which recorded 11.36 inches.
Ponding in fields, soil erosion and flooding slowed field work and caused some plants to yellow, Agriculture Secretary Patty Judge has said.
In addition to crops, the FSA may also including and assessment of damage caused by rapidly moving water to soil conservation structures including terraces.
Date: 6/24/04
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