Guinn asks for U.S. aid in long drought

Thursday, Aug. 26, 2004 | 11:09 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn on Wednesday asked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman to declare the entire state a disaster area because of the continued drought and other problems plaguing the farmers and ranchers.

"This is Nevada's fifth year of drought and Nevada's agricultural producers are being hit hard," Guinn said. "I owe it to our farmers and ranchers to seek this relief."

Some counties have suffered a l00 percent loss on certain crops because of the dry spell or the infestation of Mormon crickets or grasshoppers.

Farmers and ranchers in Clark County suffered anywhere from an 18 percent to 35 percent loss in production because of the continued drought, a study by the state emergency board of the U.S. Department of Agriculture found.

Roger Van Valkenburg, executive director of the federal Farm Service Agency, he expects the agriculture secretary to act within a month on the designation. It would permit farmers and ranchers to apply for low interest loans up to $500,000 if they have suffered at least a 30 percent loss in crop production.

The governor said farmers and ranchers would be eligible to receive most emergency farm assistance that will be passed by Congress over the coming year.

Guinn said the federal government in 2003 granted disaster designation, making $5 million available in financial assistance in all of the counties.

Pershing County was hardest this summer. It lost 70 percent of its native pasture and range, 100 percent of its mixed forage hay, a 66 percent loss of alfalfa hay and a 100 percent loss of grain crops.

"These are devastating numbers for Pershing County farmers and ranchers," the governor said.

The emergency committee found there has been an estimated 35 percent production loss of native pasture and range land in Clark County, an 18 percent loss in grain and mixed forage hay and a 20 percent loss in production of alfalfa hay.