Nov 18, 2009 6:51 pm US/Eastern
Crop Disaster Declaration Impacts 10 Md. Counties
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) ―
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Spring weather put a major hit on grain crops, so the federal government has issued a disaster designation for 10 Maryland counties.
CBS
It was a natural disaster most of us may have missed, but not Maryland farmers.
Spring weather put a major hit on grain crops, and as
Alex DeMetrick reports, the federal government has issued a disaster designation for 10 Maryland counties.
As wheat and other grains ripen in late spring, the last thing they need is too much rain.
But that's exactly what crops got this year -- weeks of rain and cooler than normal temperatures. Both open the door to damage from fungus.
For the first time in memory, Maryland's wheat harvest was hit, and tests at the Department of Agriculture last summer found the fungus was generating a dangerous toxin.
The toxin was so potent that one grain in 80 pounds of wheat was deemed unsafe for human consumption.
The discovery led to a federal disaster designation for infected crops.
"This is not something you anticipate seeing, and it was directly connected to the weather conditions we had this spring, which were unusually wet and cold," said Pat McMillan, assistant secretary of agriculture.
The counties infected are Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Queen Anne's, Talbot and Washington.
Also eligible are farmers in the contiguous counties of Allegany, Anne Arundel, Caroline, Dorchester, Frederick and Prince George's.
The focus is now on planting next spring's crop, weather permitting.
For farmers who qualify, federal help will come in either a low interest loan or a new supplemental revenue assistance program.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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