United States Department of Agriculture officials are trying to get a better feel for the damage the drought has done to crops in the region. USDA officials stopped in western Kentucky during their tour to meet with farmers in the drought stricken Midwest. USDA Deputy Under Secretary Karis Gutter says,
“Some of the things that we’re seeing is major deterioration in the quality of the grain that’s out here. Very, very bad quality stricken grain.”
Gutter says most of the farmers he spoke with had crop insurance, but says the expiration of the 2008 Farm Bill last September took away a lot of the assistance programs. He says congress is currently considering a new Farm Bill which would reinstate disaster relief programs for farmers affected by the drought.
