Wicker says disaster relief needed for Mississippi farmers
Senator Roger Wicker
On Thanksgiving Day, Mississippians gathered with friends and families around dinner tables to break bread and recognize how fortunate we are in America. Just as Thanksgiving is a day in which we recognize the bounty of our blessings, it can also be a reminder of our challenges. We must be especially mindful of the devastating crop losses that are impacting families, farmers, and businesses across our state and nation.
A few short months ago, Mississippi farmers were preparing for a bumper crop. Many expected a prosperous harvest of corn, cotton, sweet potatoes, soybeans, and rice. However, September and October brought torrential rains. Some areas of Mississippi, including parts of the farm-rich Delta, received more than 22 inches of rainfall. As a result, crops have been so badly damaged that the collective losses total nearly half a billion dollars. The devastation is so widespread that 79 of our state’s 82 counties have been declared disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Greenwood Commonwealth
12/3/9
Magnolia Tribune
