Record rainfall in June has taken its toll on some areas of Delaware’s farming industry.
According to the National Weather Service, total rainfall broke records in all three counties. Georgetown totaled nearly 12 and a quarter inches in June. Meanwhile, rain in Wilmington added up to more than 13 and a half inches.
[audio:http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/keerain.mp3|titles= WDDE All Things Considered host Joseph Leahy's interview with Delaware Sec. of Agriculture Ed Kee.]
State Agriculture Secretary Ed Kee says downpours last month simply drowned some fields.
“At one point we had about eleven inches in 14 days. The most dramatic impact was on our pea crop there’s about three or four thousand acres of peas around Delaware and probably ten percent of that had to be bypassed. The fields were too wet to get in,” said Kee.
Kee adds corn, soybean and other vegetables also took a hit, but it's hard to tell how much damage has been done yet.
“There are just some drowned out spots in various fields - one or two acres -- maybe two or three percent of the acres in certain localities so again it hurts the individual fields, but overall it’s too early to talk about the major impact on our corn and soybean crops,” said Kee
Kee says that barley suffered some losses too by being blown or matted down by wind and rain, making it harder to harvest.
This season’s weather is a stark contrast to last year when many First State farmers faced severe drought conditions.
