The News Star reports that 53 named ag disaster areas in Louisiana.
(emphasis mine) [my comment]

December 1, 2009
53 named ag disaster areas
Parishes may see financial relief
By Stephen Largen

Some financial relief could be on the way for northeastern Louisiana farmers plagued by torrential rainfall that damaged crops.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday it has declared 53 parishes as primary natural disaster areas and 10 parishes as contiguous disaster areas due to a combination of disasters that caused production losses for farmers throughout the state.

Many parts of the state experienced drought last summer, while others like northeastern Louisiana experienced monsoon-like conditions this fall that damaged crops like soybeans, cotton and sweet potatoes just before harvest.

The disaster declaration, which includes all but one parish in the state, makes farm operators eligible for emergency loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program from the U.S. Farm Service Agency.

The declaration covers damage suffered from April through October.

The declaration also included farmers from more than two dozen counties in Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas.

The Advertiser also reports that USDA declares disaster area in Louisiana.

USDA declares disaster area
The Associated Press • December 1, 2009

NEW ORLEANS — A federal disaster declaration announced Monday allows Louisiana farmers affected by early-season drought and late-season rains to seek emergency loans or other aid.

…
The full extent of the year's extreme conditions has yet to be tallied. Some farmers were still trying to salvage crops or complete harvests delayed by seemingly unrelenting rains in September and October. Preliminary estimates showed Louisiana farmers standing to lose $275 million in revenue for all major row crops.

For many producers, this is on top of production losses suffered last year due to hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

"The rest of the United States must understand that the greatest natural resource in this land, second to its people, is agriculture," state agriculture commissioner Mike Strain said.

While he said the declaration will provide access to a number of federal programs, he worries about the lag time in farmers receiving aid and said he supports congressional efforts for "direct, immediate assistance" to producers in hard-hit areas.

Kxnet reports that 42 North Dakota counties approved in crop disaster declaration.

Hoeven Announces Approval Of Secretarial Disaster Declaration For Counties Impacted By Severe Weather
Nov 27 2009 12:00AM
http://governor.state.nd.us/

Bismarck, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven today announced that U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has approved the governor's request for a Secretarial Disaster Declaration covering weather-related crop damages in 24 North Dakota counties. The request was prompted by the impact of severe spring flooding and late season weather on crops this year.

The declaration designates the counties as primary natural disaster areas because they sustained a 30-percent or greater production loss in a single enterprise due to natural disasters. The counties included are Adams, Benson, Bottineau, Burke, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Eddy, Grand Forks, Griggs, LaMoure, McHenry, Nelson, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Steele, Towner, Traill and Walsh.

Under federal law, an additional 18 contiguous counties are also eligible for assistance. These include Barnes, Bowman, Cass, Foster, Grant, Hettinger, Logan, McIntosh, McLean, Mountrail, Renville, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Stutsman, Ward, Wells and Williams.

Four additional counties - Bowman, Grant, Oliver and Slope - didn't qualify for the Secretarial Disaster Declaration, but ranchers in those counties may be eligible for assistance under the USDA's Livestock Indemnity Program.

Hoeven in July requested the USDA Farm Service Agency office in North Dakota to conduct preliminary damage assessments for all North Dakota counties to determine losses in crop production and quantity. Approval of today's request is based on information contained in the findings of Damage Assessment Reports prepared by all North Dakota County Emergency Boards, and a unanimous recommendation by the North Dakota USDA State Emergency Board.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Hoeven cited spring flooding, late planting, cool growing conditions, and late season moisture that "has challenged the harvesting of row crops, including sugar beets, Corn and Soybeans."

Newsblog reports that bad weather prompts disaster declaration for Rhode Island farmers.

Bad weather prompts disaster declaration for RI farmers
1:13 PM Mon, Nov 30, 2009
Peter Lord

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared all of Rhode Island and several counties in Connecticut and Massachusetts as "primary natural disaster areas" for farmers because of the rain and low temperatures last summer.

The declaration makes farmers eligible for low-interest federal loans in the next eight months as well as other support programs offered by the department.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Rhode Island farmers suffered damage to corn and alfalfa forage as well as strawberries, sweet corn, tomatoes and zucchini. Alfred R. Bettencourt, head of the Rhode Island Farm Bureau, said he is certain Rhode Island farmers will be applying for the loans. The pumpkin crop alone was down about 50 percent, he said.

Vilsack also made the disaster declaration for New London and Windham Counties in Connecticut and Bristol, Norfolk and Worcester Counties in Massachusetts.

Updated chart showing USDA disaster areas



Emergency aid for farmers

The South West Farm Press reports that ASA urges emergency aid for farmers.

ASA urges emergency aid for farmers
Nov 25, 2009 10:04 AM

The American Soybean Association (ASA) is urging Congress to provide funding to deliver much-needed financial assistance to farmers and rural communities to assist them in recovering from devastating losses caused by hurricanes, excessive rain during harvest and other natural disasters across the country, including catastrophic weather-related losses in the mid-South and neighboring states.

“Soybeans, rice, cotton, peanuts, sweet potatoes and other crops and segments of the agricultural economy currently are experiencing devastating weather-related losses,” said ASA President Johnny Dodson, a soybean producer from Halls, Tenn. “In some cases, the 2009 losses follow on the heels of similar losses in 2008.”

To make the situation even worse, the rains in the Mid-South came during harvest so farmers had invested the maximum in inputs to bring the crops to completion only to suffer yield and quality losses, in addition to increased harvest expenses, which has resulted in severe financial stress. Processors and related businesses that rely upon robust production will operate at reduced levels or not at all, placing stress on small businesses and rural communities.

…
ASA joined with the National Cotton Council, Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, USA Rice Federation and the U.S. Rice Producers Association in sending a letter to Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) on Nov. 20, expressing strong support and the urgent need for legislation.

Although loss estimates are preliminary, they have already reached the hundreds of millions of dollars. Many producers need assistance within weeks to repay loans and secure new financing in time for spring planting, so prompt action on this measure is vitally important. Alternative means of providing assistance cannot be delivered before late 2010 or early 2011.

The California Farmer reports that disaster assistance bill introduced.

Disaster Assistance Bill Introduced
Proposed legislation offers lifeline to producers.
Compiled by staff
Published: Nov 23, 2009

Senate Ag Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark, Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., are introducing legislation that would provide timely disaster assistance to farmers affected by this fall's heavy rains, floods and other weather-related disasters. Representative Marion Berry, D-Ark., plans to introduce companion legislation in the House.

The measure would ensure that producers receive relief in a timely manner by providing an estimated $1.3 billion in direct payment assistance to producers in counties declared "primary" disaster areas by USDA. The Congressional Budget Office has scored the legislation at $2.19 billion. It will be paid for with funds available through the Troubled Asset Relief Program. [Taking money from Wall Street to help farmers? Not going to happen. Nothing that might put Goldman Sach bonuses at risk can be allowed (sarcasm)]

Lincoln says, in these difficult economic times, this measure will help ensure farmers can continue to meet the nation's food and fiber needs while providing much-needed economic strength to rural communities. The language also includes $650 million to assist specialty crop producers, $150 million in assistance for livestock producers and $42 million to aid first handlers of cottonseed.

"Soybeans, rice, cotton, peanuts, sweet potatoes and other crops and segments of the agricultural economy currently are experiencing devastating weather-related losses," said American Soybean Association President Johnny Dodson, a soybean producer from Halls, Tenn. "In some cases, the 2009 losses follow on the heels of similar losses in 2008."

Several national commodity organizations representing producers, processors and related agri-businesses have offered their strong support for the Lincoln, Cochran and Wicker Disaster Assistance bill. The organizations say this bill can deliver urgently needed disaster assistance by utilizing a delivery mechanism similar to Direct Payments. The payments would be limited to growers in counties with Secretarial disaster declaration. The projected cost of the emergency assistance would be off-set so there is no increase in the budget deficit.

The groups say that although loss estimates are preliminary, they already have reached the hundreds of millions of dollars. They emphasized that many producers need assistance within weeks to repay loans and secure new financing in time for spring planting.

Desperate farmers across the Midwest

The Times Daily reports that state, federal leaders seek help for farmers.

State, federal leaders seek help for farmers
By Dennis Sherer
Staff Writer
Published: Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 3:30 a.m.

[Alabama]

With crops still in the field and more rain on the way, some farmers are losing hope of a successful harvest this year.

What was expected to be a better-than-normal yield of cotton, corn and soybeans has been damaged by too much rain this fall. With the rainy weather starting to take an economic toll on farmers throughout Alabama, state and federal government officials are seeking financial aid for farmers.

Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Ron Sparks is calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to begin assessing crop damage on farms throughout the state to determine if federal help will be available.

"We need some help for our farmers, and we need it now," Sparks said.

Under the current Farm Bill, farmers who suffer loses this year must wait until January 2011 to receive federal aid. Sparks said some farmers whose crops have been damaged by excessive rain cannot wait that long to receive assistance. He said some farmers whose income will fall below expenses this year could be out of business by 2011.

U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, both Republicans from Mississippi, are co-sponsoring legislation to provide assistance to Southern farmers in a more timely manner.

The legislation has drawn the support of Republican and Democratic senators. Alabama has yet to be included in the bill.

Sparks is hopeful the bill can be amended to include Alabama.

"We must make sure Alabama's farmers are included in anything that happens in Washington," he said.

U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith, D-Huntsville, said he will support legislation to aid Alabama farmers.

"Whether it is providing easy access to funding or abolishing punitive taxes on our farms, we need to make sure our agricultural community has the tools it needs to remain a major driver of our local economies," Parker said. "I applaud this move by the Senate and look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to support our farmers just as they have supported North Alabama throughout the years."

Tim Malone, executive director of the USDA's Farm Service Agency office in Florence, said the rain caused corn, cotton and soybeans to begin sprouting. When farmers delivered the rain-damaged crops to markets, many received less money for their grains and cotton.

Lawrence County farmer Brian Glenn said he received $1,300 less for a truckload of soybeans he sold this fall than he would if the crop had not been damaged by the rain.

"What should have been about a $10,000 load of beans was an $8,000-and-something load," he said.

Malone said many north Alabama farmers would meet the criteria of a minimum of 30 percent loss in the value of at least one crop in a county that was used to declare 79 of Mississippi's 82 counties agricultural disaster areas.

Buddy Adamson, director of the cotton, wheat and feed grains divisions for the Montgomery-based Alabama Farmers Federation, said the crop damage has left many farmers in dire straights.

"It's going to be the last straw for some of our farmers if they don't get some quick help," Adamson said.

Farmers Federation officials are urging state and federal leaders to move quickly in seeking additional aid for Alabama farmers. "We're certainly in favor of getting some help for our farmers as soon as possible," Adamson said.

Glenn is not optimistic federal officials will grant a variance in how farm aid is distributed to help Southern farmers this year. "With the way things are in Washington and the shape the federal budget is in, I'm not expecting any additional help for farmers."

Malone said farmers are still waiting to apply for federal aid to help them cope with losses caused by the 2008 drought. Guidelines for applying for federal aid for the 2008 crop have yet to be finalized.

The Government Monitor reports that Tennessee requests federal assistance for farmers.

Tennessee Requests Federal Assistance For Farmers
Posted on: 27th November 2009

[Tennessee]

Governor Phil Bredesen today requested a federal designation of natural disaster for agriculture for 16 counties across Tennessee as a result of excessive rain and flooding that occurred in September and October.

“A disaster designation will help make federal assistance available to farmers who experienced significant crop losses due to heavy rains and flooding this fall,” said Bredesen. “I’m glad to make this request and hope it will help lessen the impact of the damage that has been sustained during harvest.”

Bredesen made the request this week in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. The 16 counties include: Bradley, Chester, Cumberland, Hamilton, Hardeman, Lauderdale, Macon, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Polk, Rhea, Shelby, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson.

A disaster designation would make farmers in these and adjoining counties eligible to apply for assistance through their local USDA Farm Service Agency. Qualifying farmers are eligible for emergency loans and supplemental farm payments as provided by the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008.

Farmers in these counties have reported crop losses ranging from 10 to 50 percent for major commodities including corn, soybeans, cotton and tobacco. Some counties have reported receiving record rainfall of as much as 10 to 12 inches during what are normally the driest months of the year.

Although USDA is projecting significantly higher yields for most major Tennessee crops as compared to the previous two drought years, the heavy rains and flooding have hurt yields and contributed to quality losses including rotting, mold and other disease problems.

“Worst harvest ever seen” isn’t over yet

The State Journal-register reports that lots of corn still in the fields in Illinois as possibility of snow looms.

Lots of corn still in the fields as possibility of snow looms
By TIM LANDIS
THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted Dec 01, 2009 @ 11:30 PM

[Illinois]

Despite the seventh-warmest November on record, more than a fourth of the Illinois corn crop remains in the fields with a chance of snow in the forecast today for central and northern parts of the state.

“This is the first time I’ve harvested corn in December,” said Jeff Smith, who was working overtime Tuesday to bring in the last five or so of 800 acres of corn on his farm about 30 miles north of Springfield.

Today’s forecast includes a chance of showers that could turn into snow flurries by late afternoon.

One of the latest harvests in recent memory results from the lingering effects of a cold, wet October, especially across central Illinois. There is even a possibility isolated stands of corn will have to wait until next spring, said Matt Montgomery, director of the Mason County Extension service.

“We probably have crops that won’t get out at all. There are some people talking to me about fields that they may not be able to hit until March or April,” Montgomery said.

Trouble with South American harvest

Bloomberg reports that locust-hit Argentina races to save crops.

Locust-Hit Argentina Races to Save Crops: Week Ahead
By Rodrigo Orihuela

Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Wheat farmers in Argentina are racing to spray fields and avert what may be the biggest plague of locusts in 30 years from attacking their harvest.

"We're already running behind on fumigation in some areas, so it's crucial to fumigate next week to save crops," Pablo Cornago, a manager at the Argentine Agrarian Federation, said in a Nov. 26 phone interview from 9 de Julio, Buenos Aires.

Locust damage may cause wheat prices in Argentina to rise, said Ricardo Baccarin, president of Buenos Aires grains brokerage Panagricola Safici. Grain supplies are already tight after a two-year drought led the country's wheat farmers to plant the lowest area on record, and demand from Brazil is rising after rains damaged that nation's harvest, he said.

"Markets will react to the locust issue if the situation gets worse and locusts start attacking crops," Baccarin, 54, said in a Nov. 26 telephone interview. Local prices have already gained about $5 a ton over the past week, compared with a 3.3 percent decline for the benchmark wheat contract in Chicago.
…
Dry Weather

The crop-devouring variety of locust, known by local farmers as "tucuras," have thrived in the dry weather of the past two years, according to Pablo Urdapilleta, 58, the Agricultural Ministry's director for agricultural production.

Fungus and parasites that kill developing insects have been absent because of the lack of humidity, Urdapilleta, who is heading the federal administration's locust control program, said in a Nov. 25 telephone interview from Buenos Aires.
…
The Argentina Rural Society, one of the country's biggest farm groups, said in an e-mail statement that 2.56 million hectares are at risk. The Buenos Aires-based group said aerial fumigation costs about 23 pesos per hectare, meaning 58 million pesos is needed to treat the area under threat.

Buenos Aires province accounts for more than half of the 2.8 million hectares planted to wheat in Argentina this season. The southeastern part of the province alone has 1.03 million hectares sown with the grain, according to the cereals exchange.

Dry weather and plagues are also delaying the planting of this year's soybean crop in Buenos Aires province, Argentine farming group AACREA said in a statement today.

Lack of Funds

Last season, locusts damaged about 320,000 hectares of farmland in the province. A shortage of funds to fumigate at the time led to the current increase in the locust population, said Cornago, 48, of the Buenos Aires-based Agrarian Federation.

Plagues of tucura were a serious problem for farmers until the late 1970s, said the Agriculture Ministry's Urdapilleta. An increase in rain and humidity curbed them from the 1980s until the onset of dry weather in 2007.

"Because of this, young farmers don't know how to control it," Urdapilleta said.

Each female locust lays about 100 eggs during the winter and if the season is rainy only about 40 reach adulthood, Urdapilleta said. In dry seasons, about 90 to 95 become adults, he said.

Bloomberg reports that Brazil soybeans may be hurt by Asian crop disease.

Brazil Soybeans May Be Hurt by Asian Crop Disease, Agency Says
By Lucia Kassai

Nov. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Brazil’s soybean output may be hurt next year after a fungal disease known as Asian Rust infected plants at an earlier stage than usual in the season, a government researcher said.

Eleven cases have been reported at commercial farms in five Brazilian states, compared with zero such incidents in the same period last year, said Claudia Godoy, a researcher at the government's agricultural research agency known as Embrapa.

"Above-average rains allowed the early and rapid spread of the disease," Godoy said Nov. 25 in a telephone interview from Londrina, Brazil.

Latest USDA Propaganda

Agweekly reports the USDA’s latest dose of propaganda.

What to Expect in December
by Brian Hoops
Monday, November 30, 2009 9:27 AM CST

…
SOYBEANS - November was a bullish month as prices rallied 75 cents in November. The November USDA supply/demand report estimated the soybean crop at 3.319 billion bushels, 69 million bushels larger than last month’s crop and a record large production figure. Carryover stocks at the start of next year’s harvest are estimated at 270 mb, 65 mb more compared to last year’s estimate. Demand is also at a record large pace, led by record exports of soybeans, mostly to China. Total demand is forecast at 3.195 bb with exports at 1.325 bb. Production looks to outpace demand this year, but that could change quickly if U.S. producers cut back on soybean production in 2010.

Brazil and Argentina currently are planting their crops under great weather conditions and at a record pace. Note, Brazil and Argentina store little to no excess grain, as storage elevators are absent from the countryside, not like here in the U.S. Grain goes from field to port, which means they need to forward contract, or pre-sell their crop before it’s harvested to insure it doesn’t pile up on the farm. This means South America will post their price for beans under any U.S. price to insure they capture the export business, as there is nowhere to store it. From the start of the U.S. harvest in October until South American soybean harvest in March, the big demand window for U.S. soybeans as South American supplies are unavailable and the U.S. is the only port of origin for the world’s needs. China remains the world’s largest importer of soybeans as their growing economy demands high protein and oil contents. The USDA supply/demand report on December 11 looks to lend little direction to prices, with no production adjustment and the USDA likely to raise export forecasts by 5 to 10 mb as weekly export sales remain strong.

My reaction: The disaster declarations keep coming (with more on the way).

1) The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared all but one Louisiana parish to be disaster areas. The declaration also included farmers from more than two dozen counties in Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas.

2) USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has approved a Secretarial Disaster Declaration covering weather-related crop damages in 24 North Dakota counties.

3) The USDA has declared all of Rhode Island and several counties in Connecticut and Massachusetts as "primary natural disaster areas".

Devastating weather-related losses

1) mid-South and neighboring states have experienced catastrophic weather-related losses.

2) Preliminary estimates showed Louisiana farmers standing to lose $275 million in revenue for all major row crops.

3) Many north Alabama farmers would meet the criteria of a minimum of 30 percent loss in the value of at least one crop in a county that was used to declare 79 of Mississippi's 82 counties agricultural disaster areas.

4) Governor Phil Bredesen today requested a federal designation of natural disaster for agriculture for 16 counties across Tennessee. Farmers in these counties have reported crop losses ranging from 10 to 50 percent for major commodities including corn, soybeans, cotton and tobacco.

5) More than a fourth of the Illinois corn crop remains in the fields and some of it will probably never come out this year.

Emergency aid for farmers

1) The American Soybean Association (ASA) is urging Congress to provide funding to deliver much-needed financial assistance to farmers and rural communities.

2) Yields of cotton, corn and soybeans have been damaged by too much rain this fall, leaving many farmers in dire straights.

3) Many producers need assistance within weeks to repay loans and secure new financing in time for spring planting

4) With the way things are in Washington and the shape the federal budget is in, the chances of additional help for farmers doesn’t look good, especially because it could jeopardize Goldman Sach bonuses (slight sarcasm).

Trouble with South American harvest

1) The biggest plague of locusts in 30 years is attacking Argentina’s wheat crop.

2) Brazil's soybean output may be hurt next year after a fungal disease known as Asian Rust infected plants at an earlier stage than usual in the season.

Latest USDA Propaganda

1) The USDA is sticking to its predictions of the biggest soybean harvest ever, even as it declares the entire Midwest to be an agricultural disaster area.

2) Brazil and Argentina currently are planting their crops under “great weather conditions”. Note: plagues of locusts (caused by abnormally dry weather) and disease outbreaks (caused by excessively wet weather) is the USDA's idea of "great weather conditions".

3) The USDA supply/demand report on December 11 is not expected to show to show any adjustments to current production estimates, which means the USDA has no plans to reconcile their numbers to reality.

Conclusion: The situation is simply ridiculous. Why is the American Soybean Association (ASA) urging emergency aid to farmers while the USDA predicts the biggest soybean crop ever?