Craven County farmers are fed up and worried about crop losses. First there wasn’t enough rain, then there was too much. The county’s Farm Bureau hosted a meeting Wednesday, August 21 where farmers voiced their concerns.
Over the last two months, News 12 has visited farmers all across Eastern Carolina. Some who have lost at least a quarter of a million dollars already and they all say the same thing-they’re tired.
It’s tough. It’s real tough.
If things do not change, I don’t see family farmers being able to keep surviving for generations to come.
A drought, a heavy storm and now flooding.
In the last several months, farmers have gone from one extreme to the next, as they work to save what’s left of their hard work. But with many of them now experiencing crop loss they are looking for relief leading them to call Jason Jones a local farmer, elected official and the president of the Craven County Farm Bureau.
“I’ve had farmers in the last few weeks that I never thought grown men that have called me crying. We wanted folks to know on the federal, state level, look it’s a desperate state need in the agriculture community in North Carolina. We need help," says Jason Jones/ Craven County Farm Bureau President.
A plea farmers were able to express to representatives of state officials Wednesday morning.
“Because understanding the perspective from you to articulate that back to D.C. is a large part of my role," said Grayson Overholt/ Thom Tillis representative.
According to Jones, some farmers have lost at least 70% of their corn crop, with other major crops taking a loss from the impact of Storm Debby costing farmers millions of dollars.
“We’re stressed out. We’re tired of not making a profit, and I don’t know how much longer we can continue," says Jones.
Jones says the price of their crop hasn’t changed much since the 1990s.
Now they are calling on US senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd and Congressman Greg Murphy to take action.
“What we want them to do is to go back on a federal level and say, ‘We want a farm bill passed that’s got common sense approaches in it to help agriculture in the United States. Secondly, as we said, there’s gonna have to be a disaster bill passed on the federal level," Jones said.
Jones says these bills will decide whether or not some farmers in Craven County will be able to continue next year.
News 12 has reached out to all three lawmakers to see what relief will be provided to farmers.
Congressman Greg Murphy provided the following response:
Chairman Thompson moved a strong Farm Bill through the Committee on Agriculture back in May and getting it to the President’s desk should be a top priority for Congress.Eastern North Carolina farmers know how devastating natural disasters can be. I’m eager to pass the Farm Bill, which would enhance disaster assistance programs that producers rely on to protect their livelihoods and continue feeding America.
Source - https://www.wcti12.com
