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Last summer s drought in Virginia cost farmers an estimated S353 million as a result of production value losses and increased costs, according to Commissioner Carbaugh of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Commerce.
The more than third of billion dollar figure results from the addition of loss in crop production, loss in production value as a result of forced sales of cattle and calves, the cost of refurbishing damaged pastureland and the net increase in Virginia farm debt as a direct result of the drought.
The Commissioner pointed out that Virginia farmers suffered crop production value losses in the neighborhood of $110 million as a direct result of the 1977 drought. These losses were primarily attributable to decreases in crop and hay yields.
This estimate is somewhat understated since increased input purchases that were attributable to the drought, were made in certain agricultural commodity sectors. This wg.s especially true for dairy and cattle enterprises where roughage feeding increased or began at an earlier date than normal because of the severely dry condition of grasslands. Those having to purchase roughage supplies at higher levels than normal were also faced with higher prices for hays and silage. The production value loss as a result of forced sales of livestock in Virginia as a direct result of the 1977 drought was estimated by measuring the change in the livestock industry’s total net
91.0%