Farmers in Sampson County have been through a lot this year. The growing season started off pretty good, then there was a drought, after the drought ended there was probably a little too much water, which really set the stage for Tropical Storm Debby to deal some damage. It has truly been one hurdle after another this year. Some farmers are asking if this year can hurry up and be over? This is the kind of year that makes farmers grateful for insurance but even that may not be enough to break even. I hate to bring the message of doom and gloom but it’s hard to find the silver lining in this season.

If I had to pick one good thing it would be the soybean and cotton crops, where they aren’t drowning, look to be pretty good. Of course, this only really applies to the ones that weren’t affected by the drought earlier this summer. For the most part, double crop soybeans look good and some later planted full season beans seem to be at least fair. Cotton, in general, looks alright depending again on drought damage.

The complaints that I have heard about the soybean and cotton crops would be that farmers can’t get into their fields to control weeds, insects, or disease pressure. An aerial application could be made to control some of these pests. Farmers must assess and determine whether it is worth the trouble to put more money into their crop this year. Crop prices are low, inputs like pesticides, seeds, and fertilizer are high. Farmers must ask themselves whether or not they can justify an additional expense. The answer in most cases for this growing season is a resounding no. This could lead to problems next year, for example, weeds that aren’t controlled will go into the seed bank and become an issue next year or even the next few years.

Now for the bad news. Corn has been decimated; first by drought and now by rain causing ear rot and promoting diseases in what little corn is left, degrading grain quality. Tobacco fared well through the drought in general but the amount of rain before and during Debby has caused a lot of the crop to take a drastic turn for the worst. Last month, tobacco was shaping up to have a good yield but now farmers are salvaging what they can of their drowning and disease-ridden crop.

This season will soon come to an end and the hits will stop coming. After everything is over it will be time for farmers here in Sampson County to make decisions about next year and prepare. Farmers are resilient and come back year after year. They will also be hoping for better growing conditions and fewer surprises next year. This year has provided enough surprises for the next few years at least.

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