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Illinois Gov. requests USDA Secretarial Disaster Declaration
Governor Rauner has sent an official letter to USDA Secretary requesting all counties in Illinois experiencing crop damage related to recent flooding be included in a Secretarial Disaster Declaration.
“Agriculture producers have sustained significant damage to their crops in portions of Illinois due to excessive rainfall and subsequent flooding from June 1, 2015 to the present. Crop yields in those affected areas will be considerably lower this year,” said the governor in his letter.
Illinois experienced its wettest June on record this year, and has received more than 25cm of rain, about twice the average, in central portions of the state, so far this month.
“After touring some of the hardest hit areas in the state this week, it is noticeable that we will see considerably lower crop yields in those areas this year,” said the State Director of Agriculture.
In Iroquois County, one of the hardest hit areas in the state, about 40% of the crops were submerged at one time due to flooding, according to a statement issued by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
Illinois was the No. 1 soybean producer in the U.S. last year. However, this year yields are significantly different, depending on the location.
“Persistent wetness is having a negative impact on yields,” said a report.
Extreme rain events and widespread flooding have impacted crops in other key agricultural states including Indiana, Missouri and Ohio.
The weather in Indiana, Missouri and Ohio “continued to be excessively wet so in general, I don’t think there has been much improvement in the eastern Corn Belt” for crop condition, said an analyst.
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