The increased frequency of natural disasters has created a challenging environment for farmers. However, the effects of climate and weather-related disasters are not uniform, varying greatly depending on location.
To pinpoint where these events are having the greatest impact on farmers and the nation’s food supply, researchers at TraceOne, a company specializing in product formulation software and regulatory compliance for the food and beverage industry, conducted an in-depth analysis of the latest data from the U .S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Here are some of the key findings:
According to USDA, there are 1.9 million farms in the United States that are responsible for producing $489 billion in crop and livestock value annually.
FEMA estimates that the U .S. loses approximately $3.4 billion in agricultural value each year due to natural hazards, primarily drought, or nearly $1,800 per farm.
California, which produces 12 percent of the nation’s total agricultural value, disproportionately bears 37 percent of the total losses caused by natural hazards, accounting for $1.2 billion annually. Santa Barbara County in California has an expected annual loss of nearly $240 million, the most of any county in the U .S., which equates to more than $175,000 lost per farm each year.
All but one of the top 15 counties with the greatest expected annual losses are located in California, with the single largest contributor to losses being drought. Drought alone accounts for more than half of the losses, averaging $1.8 billion a year. The financial impact of drought underscores its threat to farmers, particularly in regions reliant on water-intensive crops.
Other significant contributors include hurricanes, flooding, and cold waves.
I’m Lorrie Boyer for reporting for AgNet West.