[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 126 (Thursday, August 2, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S10775]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    DROUGHT IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE

  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the farmers in 
my State of Delaware, and those in other parts of the Nation, who are 
looking out their windows and seeing the damage caused by a drought. 
This is the time of year when corn is at its best, at its sweetest, but 
in Delaware, specifically in Sussex and Kent Counties, where 
agriculture is king, my guys are in trouble. On some farms, corn is 
half the size it should be, brown and withered, stalks, with no ears of 
corn. Losses, I have been told, are 50 percent of the crop or even 100 
percent of a farmers total crop. Soybeans are also in jeopardy. And we 
are facing a forecast with little or no rain.
  As I have been telling my colleagues, for more than three decades, 
agriculture is an enormous and vital part of my State. Delaware is an 
agricultural State. Almost 50 percent of our total acreage is farmland. 
Sussex County, the southernmost county in my State, is the largest 
poultry producing county in the entire country. Delaware is first in 
production value per farm and first in cash receipts per acre. We are 
ranked No. 2 in lima bean production, and we have 200,000 acres of 
soybeans and 175,000 acres of corn.
  Sadly, this is not the first time that my State has faced a severe 
drought. In 2002, our farmers faced similar circumstances and suffered 
major losses. When a severe drought strikes, the impact on the economy, 
the environment, and the agricultural sector can be devastating. USDA's 
assistance during these crucial periods help the livelihoods of our 
farmers in Delaware.
  Farmers, always at the mercy of the weather, are constantly faced 
with decisions of how to best manage risk. With Delaware soil, 
irrigation is oftentimes an option, but it is an expensive one which 
can be daunting to a farmer trying to make a profit. Another tool which 
farmers look to is crop insurance. Throughout my tenure in the Senate, 
I have supported incentives to make such tools attractive and 
affordable to farmers.
  Bur for now, our Governor has started the process that triggers 
Federal assistance by calling for the Delaware Farm Service Agency to 
survey the crops. Because it is essential that the State, or specific 
counties, be designated as crop disaster areas to make farmers eligible 
for Federal disaster assistance, I am hopeful that they complete the 
process soon. If disaster assistance is needed, I hope the Secretary of 
Agriculture will move swiftly to help.

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