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Assessing ag damages as flooding recedes

Flood damage assessments on farms and fields continue in Missouri.

Ag Director Chris Chinn says a second ag disaster declaration is being sought through the USDA’s Farm Service Agency – but they have to wait for the flood waters to go down to tally all the damages, “They have to do it with the staff that they have on hand. So they don’t have extra staff coming in to help them. So, right now, the FSA employees are extremely busy right now, getting out there trying to do these damage assessments as quickly as they can as that water is receding.”

Fields, levees, terrace systems and homes are damaged. As for planted acres, Chinn says 91% of Missouri corn is planted and 93% of soybeans are in the ground, and, “Our cotton, rice acres are down just a little bit but really nothing tremendous that needs to be something to set off the alarms on. So, all in all, when you look at the horrible spring that we had we really are doing fairly decent as far as planted acres go.”

Missouri’s first ag disaster declaration was granted June 3rd for 15 Missouri counties.

Governor Mike Parson’s second request is for damage assessments in 37 Missouri counties along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and a few large tributaries.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture will participate in the governor’s new Flood Recovery Advisory Group.

Tom Steever interviews Director Chinn

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