Storms across the state in those two months brought heavy rains, flooding, high winds and hail, resulting in high production losses in several parishes.

    Avoyelles County Agent Justin Dufour said the parish’s wheat crop suffered the most, with a loss of about 50 percent.

   Dufour said that is about 135,416 bushels lost to the weather, for an estimated $884,266 in production losses.

Soybeans also took a big hit from Mother Nature, with milo and corn suffering only minimal damage.

   “Heavy rains in the month of May and June flooded the fields, causing the crop damages,” Dufour said. “There was also damage done in some fields from backwater flooding from the Red River.”

   Dufour said 586 acres of wheat were destroyed and another 5,700 acres suffered damage. There are no numbers for the weather effects on soybeans during that period because most farmers were able to replant their soybean crop, he said. There was minor damage to the milo and corn crops caused by water staying in low areas in some fields.

   Dufour said the wet weather also encouraged the growth and spread of a wheat blight, which also decreased the yield.

 

   A disaster designation makes farmers in those primary disaster areas and contiguous areas eligible for certain assistance from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), including emergency loans.

   Farmers in eligible parishes have eight months from the date of a disaster declaration to apply for low-interest emergency loans. FSA considers each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses on the farm and the security and repayment ability of the operator.

   Farmers who have suffered severe losses may apply for emergency assistance with their local FSA Office.

   “The recent flooding did a number on our agricultural community,” Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain said. “Unpredictable weather is something that the farming community deals with on a regular basis. This assistance is necessary to help sustain the businesses of our agricultural producers.”

   Emergency loans help producers recover from production and physical losses following a drought, flooding and other natural disasters or quarantine. Farmers usually have to suffer a loss of at least 30 percent of production to be eligible for an FSA emergency loan.

   Additional programs may be available to assist farmers and ranchers in this area and they are encouraged to contact their local FSA Office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov, an FSA spokesperson said.

   The 12 primary natural disaster areas are Avoyelles, Bossier, Caddo, East Feliciana, Franklin, Grant, Iberville, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Red River and West Baton Rouge.

   Contiguous areas in the following parishes are also included in the declaration: Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Bienville, Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, DeSoto, East Baton Rouge, Evangeline, Iberia, La Salle, Madison, Richland, Sabine, St. Helena, St. Landry, St. Martin, Tensas, Vernon, Webster, West Feliciana and Winn.