Kentucky: Tobacco Farmers In State Of Emergency

Source from:  Written by: Mary Bleier Friday, July 15, 2005 07/18/2005

In an emergency meeting this morning, federal farm agencies met to discuss tobacco crops in McCracken County. Doug Wilson, who is with the University of Kentucky's Agriculture Department says they are going to declare a 75% crop loss to the federal government. Wilson says because of too much rain during the month of July, tobacco crops are drying up and wilting. "It's a term called sun-scalding. The plants scald and they suffocate in the water because they can't get enough oxygen to the roots." Wilson also says, the amount of crops ruined is a huge financial loss for farmers too. "With twelve to fourteen million [crops] and multiply that by $1.50 and that will tell you about the financial loss." Right now, Wilson says farmers are hoping the U.S. Government will reimburse them with disaster payments for their lost crops. Enditem