Wisconsin Agriculture Secretary Ben Brancel says this year’s drought is worse than the one of 1988.
“The livestock industry is the one feeling the brunt right now,” he said on Sunday’s “UpFront with Mike Gousha,” produced in conjunction with WisPolitics.com. “In the fall, during harvest, we will see how bad the grain industry is.”
Although crops and livestock are suffering, the damage is not yet bad enough for federal aid, he said.
“The federal government uses thresholds, time frames and the drought monitor,” he said. “You have to get into a certain severe category for a certain time frame, and we haven’t reached that yet.”
So far, according to Brancel, price implications are still at the farm level and haven’t reached grocery stores yet. Also, Wisconsin exporters can still meet their quotas. However, there may be effects on the ethanol industry because farmers need the product to produce livestock feed, Brancel said.
Although lots of damage has already been done, rain could help reduce the loss.
“Rain always makes a difference, but it affects different crops differently,” Brancel said. “It may help you increase tonnage of corn silage… and help in the next crop of hay. It may not help you get anymore grain though.”
The show also featured a discussion of health insurance exchanges with state Reps. Jon Richards, D-Milwaukee, and Jeff Stone, R-Greendale
Watch the program for more:
http://www.wisn.com/politics/upfront
