Lawmakers push for USDA help for growers scorched by drought, heat

Western U.S. lawmakers are pushing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to give more help to growers burned by record heat and drought.

In a July 27 letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a bipartisan group of lawmakers asked for more relief for farmers, ranchers, shellfish growers, and other agricultural producers in the West affected by historic wildfires, droughts and extreme heat.

The letter asked Vilsack to open relief programs up to more producers who have lost crops and livestock to the ongoing droughts, extreme heat, and wildfires.

An extreme heatwave hit the Pacific Northwest in June with temperatures reaching as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Vilsack issued several disaster designations at that time, unlocking federal resources for growers. However, the letter said many of the producers who suffered the greatest heat-related losses were either located in counties not covered by the drought designations, experienced losses not covered by drought assistance programs, or both.

“Although the extent of damages relating to the extreme heat has yet to be fully determined, agricultural producers expect these impacts to be severe,” the lawmakers wrote. “We respectfully request USDA explore all potential flexibilities for additional relief within existing programs and identify other options to deliver federal relief to producers in our states, so they have the resources to overcome the extreme drought and heat crisis.”

The lawmakers said reports across the Pacific Northwest and Western states indicate berry crops, tree fruits, grain and pulse crops, potatoes, hops, dairy products, forage crops, wine grapes, nursery crops, poultry, beef cattle, and general livestock experienced excessive heat impacts to yield and quality.

The lawmakers said specific examples of the effects of these extreme weather events include:

• Raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry growers are reporting widespread losses of 20% to 80% of their crops and harm to the canes that will produce next year’s crop; and
• Cherry growers in the West have so far lost an estimated 20% of their overall crop.

For some crops including apples and pears, the lawmakers said the full extent of losses may not be known until harvest in the fall, or even later if damage manifests in storage.

The letter also encourages USDA to work with Congress to provide technical assistance as lawmakers craft additional authorities and appropriations to address the 2020 and 2021 seasons that include wildfire, drought, and excessive heat-related losses.

Todd Fryhover, president of the Washington Apple Commission, said in a July 28 e-mail that it was too early for any definite heat damage estimate on apples.

Fryhover said one grower indicated to him that fruit sizing could be reduced by one-half to one size. At the same time, Fryhover said there isn’t any data to confirm the effect of high temperatures in June.

The industry will have a better idea about the outlook after the Washington State Tree Fruit Association estimate in August.

Sunburn on fruit could be significant for new plantings with little or no canopy coverage, Fryhover said.

“Personally, I think we’ll see a reduction of 10-15% from earlier estimates,” he said.