>> AT THE MERCY OF MOTHER
NATURE, FARMERS WITHOUT
IRRIGATION ARE BEING LEFT HIGH
AND DRY, BUT SOME RELIEF IS IN
SIGHT.
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE DECLARED 27
WISCONSIN COUNTIES ARE UNDER A
NATURAL DISASTER DESIGNATION DUE
TO THE EXTENDED AND SEVERE
DROUGHT CONDITIONS.
THE DESIGNATION OPENS UP
RESOURCES TO FARMERS WITHIN
THOSE COUNTIES, INCLUDING
EMERGENCY LOANS.
FOR MORE ON HOW WISCONSIN
FARMERS ARE FARING, WE TURN TO
KEVIN KRENTZ, PRESIDENT OF THE
WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU
FEDERATION.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, TOO.
>> SO FOR FARMERS IN COUNTIES
DESIGNATED AS IN EXTREME
DROUGHT, IS THIS A TOTAL BUST
FOR CROPS AT THIS POINT?
>> NO, NOT NECESSARILY, BUT
THERE'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF STRESS
OUT THERE ON THOSE CROPS
BEGINNING IN EARLY MAY.
THIS DROUGHT REALLY STARTED IN
EARLY TO MID MAY , AND SOME OF
THOSE SEEDS REALLY HAD TROUBLE
EVEN GERMINATING AND COMING OUT
OF THE GROUND, AND THAT'S
AFFECTING THE WHOLE GROWING
SEASON, AND WE HAVE
INCONSISTENCIES WHEN WE'RE GOING
THROUGH POLLINATION RIGHT NOW,
AND THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT YIELD
A GREAT DEAL.
>> SO HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE
CONDITION OF THE CORN, SOYBEAN
AND OAT CROPS?
>> IT'S EXTREMELY VARIABLE, AND
I WOULD THROW WHEAT IN THERE AS
WELL.
A LOT OF OUR VEGETABLES ARE IN
THE CENTRAL SANDS REGION.
MANY OF THAT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY
TO BE IRRIGATED, BUT THERE IS
SOME DRY LAND AS WELL, SO THE
VEGETABLES ARE ALSO PART OF
THIS, BUT ON THE ROW CROP SIDE
OF IT, THE CORN, SOYBEANS,
WHEAT, THERE'S A LOT OF
INCONSISTENCIES ACROSS THE
STATE.
THERE'S SOME AREAS THAT RECEIVED
TIMELY RAINS.
MAYBE NOT AS MUCH AS THEY
PROBABLY COULD HAVE, BUT THEY
RECEIVED TIMELY RAINS THAT
REALLY WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE SOME
OF THAT AND BE ABLE TO BE OF
DECENT YIELD, AT LEAST IN THE
WHEAT CROP, BUT THERE'S MANY
PARTS OF THE STATE THAT ARE
REALLY STRUGGLING.
>> YEAH, FOR SURE.
DO MOST FARMERS HAVE CROP
INSURANCE?
AND DOES THAT COVER ALL LOSSES?
>> SO THE CROP INSURANCE, YEAH,
THERE'S MANY FARMERS THAT DO
HAVE CROP INSURANCE, BUT IT'S
EXPENSIVE TO BUY TO A CERTAIN
LEVEL.
SO MOST FARMERS WILL COVER 65 TO
70% OF THEIR CORROBORATE, MAYBE
UP TO 80 -- CROP, MAYBE UP TO
80%, BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT THE LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY
HERE IN WISCONSIN, WE'VE GOT TO
HAVE FEED FOR THE COWS, SO IT'S
NOT ONLY BEING ABLE TO SELL THAT
CROP, IT'S BEING ABLE TO HAVE
ENOUGH FEED FOR YOUR ANIMALS AT
THE END OF THE DAY.
>> SO WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS
AROUND THAT RIGHT NOW?
>> WELL, AGAIN, IT COMES BACK TO
IF YOU CAN'T RAISE IT, THEN YOU
HAVE TO PURCHASE IT, AND IF THIS
DROUGHT IS WIDESPREAD ENOUGH,
THOSE CROPS HAVE TO BE TRUCKED
IN A LONGER DISTANCE.
NOW, WE DO -- WE ARE FORTUNATE
HERE IN THE UPPER MIDWEST THAT
THE MAJORITY OF OUR GRAINS ARE
GROWN RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDWEST,
SO THERE SHOULD BE PLENTY OF
GRAIN TO FEED OUR LIVESTOCK.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF SOME FARMS
WON'T BE ABLE TO PRODUCE ENOUGH
THEMSELVES TO FEED THEIR OWN
LIVESTOCK SO THEY'LL HAVE TO
PURCHASE SOME OF THAT.
>> WHAT DOES THE FEDERAL
DISASTER DECLARATION DO FOR
FARMERS IN BAD STRAITS RIGHT
NOW?
>> SO IT GIVES THE ABILITY FOR
SOME LOW COST LOANS, AGAIN, TO
PURCHASE FEED, TO BE ABLE TO
COVER SOME OF THOSE INPUTS THAT
WE HAD ON PLANTING THE CROP TO
BEGIN WITH, SO IT COVERS SOME OF
THOSE LOSSES.
>> WILL PROVISIONS IN THE STATE
BUDGET FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR
CROP INSURANCE TO INCLUDE THINGS
LIKE HELP WITH PREMIUMS HELP
OFF-SET COSTS FOR PRODUCERS AT
ALL?
>> SO MAINTAINING -- WE'RE IN
THE MIDST OF A FARM BILL
DISCUSSION ON A FEDERAL LEVEL
AND THE CROP INSURANCE PROGRAM
IS PART OF THAT, AND MAINTAINING
A ROBUST CROP INSURANCE PROGRAM
IS GOOD FOR EVERYBODY.
IT'S GOOD FOR FARMERS TO BE ABLE
TO PROTECT THEIR CROP, BUT IT'S
ALSO GOOD FOR CONSUMERS BECAUSE
ESSENTIALLY THAT'S FEED AND FOOD
THAT COMES BACK TO US AS
CONSUMERS, AND SO IT'S A FOOD
SECURITY PROGRAM AS WELL.
>> SO GIVEN ALL THAT, HOW
IMPORTANT ARE OUR MAJOR CROPS TO
OUR STATE'S ECONOMY?
>> OH, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING THE
VEGETABLE SIDE OF THINGS, WE'RE
NUMBER TWO IN POTATOES, NUMBER
ONE IN CRANBERRIES, BUT CORN AND
SOYBEANS, AGAIN, GO TO FEED A
LOT OF OUR LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY.
WE'RE NUMBER TWO IN THE DAIRY
INDUSTRY IN THE NATION.
WE'RE RIGHT UP THERE WITH THE
BEEF INDUSTRY AS WELL.
SO IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR
WISCONSIN'S ECONOMY.
WE'RE 105 BILLION-DOLLAR
INDUSTRY IN WISCONSIN, AND --
BUT THE KEY PART OF BEING SUCH A
LARGE ECONOMIC DRIVER IS FARMS
SUPPORT LOCAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS
THE STATE, AND WHEN FARMS
STRUGGLE, LOCAL COMMUNITIES
STRUGGLE, BECAUSE EVEN A NUMBER
OF YEARS AGO, I DID THE RESEARCH
ON MY OWN FARM AND FOUND THAT
62% OF MY EXPENSES ARE SPENT
WITHIN A 15-MILE RADIUS OF MY
FARM.
SO YOU MULTIPLY THAT BY THE 60
PLUS THOUSAND FARMS ACROSS THE
STATE AND IT'S A HUGE IMPACT ON
LOCAL COMMUNITIES ALL ACROSS.
>> ALL RIGHT.