By RAY WYCHE
Staff Writer

Most of Columbus County is faring better, weatherwise, than the rest of the state but extreme heat and prolonged periods with little or no rain in certain areas are having a detrimental effect on farm crops.

Western Columbus County seems to be suffering the most because of weather damage to crops. As harvesting is underway for tobacco and corn, farmers are finding their yields reduced and the quality, particularly in tobacco, lower than was expected earlier in the growing season.

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture has determined that all 100 counties in the state are suffering in varying degrees from the lack of rainfall. Columbus and Bladen counties are classified as undergoing “severe” drought conditions while Brunswick has been rated as moderate.

Most of the mountain and upper Piedmont counties are considered to be in extreme drought conditions.

Extension Agent Michael Shaw of Whiteville said the most severe damage is in the western end of Columbus County. Horticulture Extension Agent Howard Wallace, who also serves in Robeson County, said most farm crops in Robeson are in worse condition than those in Columbus, mainly because of lack of water.

Shaw, the row crop agent, said the current drought in Columbus County “is probably the worst I’ve ever seen.” Shaw has been with the Extension Service in Columbus County for 19 years.

Hot weather coupled with lack of rain has caused tobacco to ripen with more burned leaves than normal. Shaw estimates that “not quite 75 percent” of the crop has been harvested.

Most tobacco is sold under contract directly from the farmer to the manufacturers, and some growers are probably not going to be able to deliver the amount called for in the contracts due to shortages caused by the weather; but the companies heretofore have been lenient with the farmers who failed to deliver because of extreme heat and drought.

“They work together,” Shaw said.

Soybeans, now in the bloom stage of their growth have begun shedding blossoms because of heat and dry weather. Bean pods are formed from the blossoms. Soybean plants normally shed some of their blooms before maturity but the premature leaf drop this year has been heavier than normal, Shaw said.

Late maturing varieties of soybeans are being hurt by the drought more than are those that matured earlier.

“The late varieties are aborting their flowers,” Superintendent Ty Marshall of the N.C. Crop Research Station said. “They’ve been blooming for over a month now but no beans are forming,” he added.

The early varieties of soybeans at the station “are looking good,” Marshall said, with the bushes having “plenty of beans.”

Columbus livestock operators are finding it difficult to procure hay for their animals due to dry conditions, and are having to feed more dry feed since summer pastures are becoming less productive because of lack of rain.

“It’s not critical yet but we’re in the planning stages,” Extension Livestock Agent Phyllis Greene said of the horse and cattle feed situation.

Greene said a workshop is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 30 at which time the baling of harvested corn stalks and leaves will be demonstrated. Corn stalks and leaves, normally left in the fields after corn is harvested, can be used as livestock feed but are difficult to handle compared to harvesting and baling hay.

If Columbus County is declared an agriculture disaster area by the federal government, federal funds may be available to farmers who suffered financial loss due to weather.

State estimates show Columbus Country’s agriculture losses due to weather to be $14 million, while neighboring Robeson County will lose about $32 million. Statewide, agriculture losses are expected to total $100 million, according to the N.C. Department of Agriculture.