Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack briefed President Barack Obama on the drought situation, which he described as the “most serious situation we’ve had probably in 25 years.”  The secretary has said the full extent of the drought’s damage will not be known until harvest, but it will result in sharply higher commodity prices and increased pressure on the livestock sector. 

P. Scott Shearer, Vice President

July 20, 2012

1 Min Read
Drought Damage the Worst in 25 Years

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack briefed President Barack Obama on the drought situation, which he described as the “most serious situation we’ve had probably in 25 years.”  The secretary has said the full extent of the drought’s damage will not be known until harvest, but it will result in sharply higher commodity prices and increased pressure on the livestock sector.  USDA designated 39 additional counties in eight states as primary natural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by drought and excessive heat. During the 2012 crop year, USDA has designated 1,297 counties across 29 states as disaster areas, making all qualified farm operators in the areas eligible for low-interest emergency loans.  Last week,USDA designated the entire state of Missouri a disaster area.  As of July 10, 78% of the corn crop and 77% of the soybean crop has been impacted by the drought.

 

About the Author(s)

P. Scott Shearer

Vice President, Bockorny Group, Inc.

Scott Shearer is vice president of the Bockorny Group Inc., a leading bipartisan government affairs consulting firm in Washington, D.C. With more than 30 years experience in government and corporate relations in state and national arenas, he is recognized as a leader in agricultural trade issues, having served as co-chairman of the Agricultural Coalition for U.S.-China Trade and co-chairman of the Agricultural Coalition for Trade Promotion Authority. Scott was instrumental in the passage of China Permanent Normal Trade Relations and TPA. He is past chairman of the USDA-USTR Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Animals and Animal Products and was a member of the USAID Food Security Advisory Committee. Prior to joining the Bockorny Group, Scott served as director of national relations for Farmland Industries Inc., as well as USDA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs (1993-96), serving as liaison for the Secretary of Agriculture and the USDA to Congress.

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