Near-Total Crop Losses Ravaging US Agriculture – SC Farmers Sound the Alarm on Tragic Harvest Season

westernjournal.com8h

Farms in the southeastern United States are suffering from crop failures that are ravaging agricultural productivity in one of the most traditionally fertile areas of the nation.

Beginning with an unexpected Spring freeze, followed by a chillier than expected May and an accompanying drought, utterly massive crop failures of peaches, watermelons and blueberries have devastated local growers, trickling down the economy to the restaurants, breweries, distillers and markets that depend on their produce, according to the Post and Courier.

Emery Tumbleston, who operates the 18-year-old, 10-acre Champney’s Blueberry farm with her parents, told the outlet they lost about 85 percent of their three types of blueberries following the freeze and another 5 to 10 percent after the drought.

“Compounded to that (freeze) was the lack of rain, so we just got it from two sides this year,” Tumbleston said. “It was taking me over an hour to pick a bucket, which is unheard of.”

In the middle of March, temperatures in South Carolina plunged down to a frigid 19 degrees in some areas, according to Clemson University as reported by the Courier.

Champney’s farm was forced to shut down for the season after just four days. The season is normally four to six weeks……More Here

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