Jay County farmers have suffered the worst of the worst flooding.
Because of the recent flooding and heavy rainfall, Indiana has experienced the worst crop damage of any state, according to Purdue University agricultural economist Chris Hurt.
Crop damage in Indiana has surpassed half a billion dollars — about $300 million in corn and $200 million in soybeans — from flooding and heavy rains, he said.
Here in Jay County, farmers are feeling the pain as well.
“(Jay County) appear(s) to be the worst in Indiana,” Hurt said. “The worst of the worst.”
“We are in disaster mode,” said local farmer Dave Lowe. “It’s been very abnormal. … In my career, I’ve never seen a spring like this.”
“About every crop has suffered a 30 percent or greater loss,” said Katrina Wangler, county executive director of Jay and Adams counties’ Farm Service Agency. “All the crops are down.”
“East Central Indiana has gotten hit hard this year,” Hurt said.
Many fields across the county, especially those in low-lying areas or near the Salamonie River, have been visibly flooded this summer. A number of fields still show signs of the muddy water that recently covered them. And many have barren spots where crops have drowned in the floodwaters.
“Some plants have been in standing water for up to three weeks,” said soybean specialist Shaun Casteel in a press release from Purdue.
“(The flooding) has just killed all the crops and there isn’t time to replant,” said Hurt. “Indiana has kind of run out of time.”
Bob Lyons is one of many local farmers doing what he can to save his crops.
“I’m trying to remain calm,” he said. “The crop is definitely, definitely hurting.
“Even at the best, it’s still going to hurt.”
Jim Schoenlein noted Monday evening that he has 300 acres he hasn’t been able to get to because of the extensive flooding.
Many farmers are still unable to harvest their wheat crops because of wet, sodden grounds. Usually that harvest would be complete, or at least started, by now.
On top of the late harvest, the water has caused a lot of disease in wheat, causing a reduction in price, said Wangler.
“The plagues just keep coming, one after another,” Hurt said.
POET Biorefining of Portlandhas even stopped accepting corn that contains any wheat because of high toxin levels in this year’s wheat crop.
Todd Thornburg, a grain buyer for POET, said prices have already climbed 80 cents higher than earlier this year, and that he only expects it to continue to rise.
Lyons said he wouldn’t be surprised if he, along with many other farmers, sees a 50 percent or greater loss of corn. He feels lucky to have insurance, and
remembers the last time he suffered flooding like this — in 1981— there was little in the way of insurance available to help farmers recoup their losses.
“(Farmers) need to rely on their crop insurance,” Wangler said, mentioning that the recent Farm Bill eliminated a crop disaster fund that had helped farmers recover losses in the past.
Hurt said 79 percent of corn and soybean acreage in Indiana was covered by some sort of insurance last year and that he expected this year’s number to be similar to that.
“Crop insurance is very vital,” echoed Lowe.
“Even if (farmers have) insurance,” he added, “it wouldn’t cover them for their whole crop.”
Most insurance plans will cover about 80 percent of the loss of crops, Lowe noted, but that there are a myriad of different plans available.
Larry Temple, director of the Jay County Purdue extension office, noted that he is working on starting a regional response program to help farmers cover losses.
The average yield for corn last year, Wangler said, was 139 bushels per acre. The average for soybeans was 38 bushels per acre.
With losses of at least 30 percent, that would bring the averages down to 97 and 27 bushels per acre respectively.
This decrease in yield, however, has led to higher prices for both corn and soybeans, Hurt said. Prices for both are about 10 percent higher across the board.
“What (farmers) do raise will be worth more than if we didn’t have this rain,” he said. “This is just the nature of the business. There’s a lot of uncertainty.”
“Farmers … you hate it, you don’t sleep at night,” Lowe said.
“All they can do now is hope for some sun,” said Hurt.