Remembering Ag in a Time of Drought

Remembering Ag in a Time of Drought

By Governor Dave Heineman

August 8, 2006

Dear Fellow Nebraskans:

No matter the career path we choose, there are times when circumstances beyond our control dictate what we can and cannot accomplish. Few industries are as dependent on chance as farming and ranching, which form the foundation of our state economy.

Our agricultural producers do an excellent job of mitigating the many challenges that come with the territory, through sound science, proper planning and some qualified, expert help from University of Nebraska extension offices located across the state.

However, over the past seven years, we have all been reminded that no amount of planning can best the challenges dealt by Mother Nature, and the current drought is quickly becoming the toughest we have seen in the history of Nebraska. In fact, the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map puts all but the extreme southeastern corner of our state in the severe drought category, with some areas experiencing even greater stress. We need a shift in weather conditions that brings with it significant moisture, and anything short of that goal is a temporary fix.

We have programs that provide landowners the option to take agricultural land out of irrigation. Many producers have implemented dry land farming techniques and opted to plant drought-tolerant crops, and we have ranchers who've rotated grazing fields more frequently to preserve grasslands. Irrigators have upgraded their equipment, switching to center-pivot systems that use less water, and the state has worked with Natural Resources Districts to develop water management plans for areas particularly hard hit by reduced water flows in rivers and streams.

We've been reminded in recent weeks that these efforts pale in comparison to the power of nature. Dry land combined with lightning strikes brought wildfires to northwest Nebraska that luckily claimed no lives, but damaged thousands of acres of grazing lands, leaving producers in the area scrambling at a time when margins were already thin.

Nebraskans have stepped forward to support their neighbors, and I am proud to say that the people of this state have donated not just money, but hay and other forage materials, along with supplies needed to help those producers reclaim what was lost.

Those who rely on the land and natural resources for their livelihood are particularly affected by the challenges brought by drought and wildfires, but we can never forget that every community in Nebraska is connected to agriculture. In a state where one in three jobs is tied to agriculture or agribusiness, these challenges affect not only our rural communities and local producers, but ripple across other industries as well.

Agriculture is the foundation upon which our economy is built, and in this year of extreme challenges we continue to press our federal partners for some form of drought aid. Nebraska's congressional delegation understands this reality and has been very helpful in expressing support for providing drought-relief for those facing severe losses this season, but they cannot act alone.

That is why I joined with my fellow western governors in sending a letter to U.S. House and Senate leaders asking them to pass legislation that could provide meaningful help for producers battling drought and other natural disasters. Our state is not the only one facing these challenges, and I am hopeful that our combined efforts will produce the results our farmers and ranchers need.

Nebraskans know all too well that unlike storms, drought settles in largely under the radar, but that its effects can be just as devastating. We must remember the important impact of our agriculture industry in this time of drought as our producers continue to persevere through another challenging summer.

http://www.gov.state.ne.us/columns/2006/0808.html