WTVM.com and WTVM News Leader 9, Columbus, GA | Drought Hurting Farmers

Drought Hurting Farmers

It's really no surprise---but most of Georgia is under moderate drought conditions. That's especially bad news for farmers.

A moderate drought means many areas across the state are eight to twelve inches below normal rainfall amounts for the last six months.

Farmers say the lack of rain is killing their crop.

Here at the farmer's market on Victory Drive customers come in to buy those Georgia grown fruits and vegetables. But without some more rain, the selection in the future won't be quite so fruitful.

John Merritt owns more than four hundred acres of pecan trees. Right now, he's only two months into the growing season.

"We're running irrigation 24 hours a day, seven days a week and we're not losing any thing yet, but it could get critical down the road." said Merritt.

And even though Alberto came close, it never dropped any rain. Farmers in this part of the state say they haven't had any significant rain in four to six weeks.

In Columbus we may need just a passing shower but here in Webster County, farmers tell me that this crop is about to go under, let's take a look at this dirt, it's just way too dry.

Don't let the green leaves of this cotton fool you. Fifty percent of Webster county is irrigated, even so the crop is in trouble unless there is a big rain very soon.

"Some of it is at stages where it needs rain to activate fertilizers that have been put over it, some of it is at the stage where it still hasn't come up, it hasn't come out of the ground yet and it needs rain to actually start growing." said Mark Cox, Webster Farms, Inc.

Farmers describe their situation as desperate. But Merritt knows the survival of this season's crop may be left up to someone else.

"I'd like us all to pray for rain." said Merritt.

Mark Cox with Webster Farms Incorporated says most crops need a half inch or better rain each week.

But crops like cotton, corn, and peanuts are so far behind that farmers need a major storm to catch back up on rainfall.

That's why everyone was hoping Alberto would roll directly through georgia rather than just skirt the southeastern part of the state.

Jon Kalahar