Crops damaged due to weather - NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

A lack of rain and excessive heat have devastated crops across the commonwealth. It's a big problem that's costing growers big money. In Dinwiddie County it's not hard to spot rows of burnt corn crops.

Mother Nature has made it difficult for farmer, Billy Bain, to turn a profit on his one thousand acre corn crop.

"It can rain four inches -- the corn is shot," said Bain.

With sweltering temperatures and little to no rain in recent months corn crops have been hit hardest.

"A lot of stalks have absolutely nothing on it." Bain added, "It should be twice as long with kernels all the way around the cob instead of just on one side."

Bain estimates he'll lose about half a million dollars because of the bad crop.

He does have insurance but says that won't make him and other farmers whole.

"You don't recover from this in a year. It's a 4 or 5 year process of recouping a loss when you have a year like this one," Bain explained.

To help out farmers, the county cooperative extension office has filed papers with the county board of supervisors for a declaration of disaster.

"It allows counties to be eligible to file for disaster assistance through federal programs. Here in the county the rainfall has been spotty. Some locations have gotten more rain than others but I can say everyone has been impacted by the weather conditions," said Herbert Brown, executive director with the Farm Service Agency.

Bain hoping to get federal assistance and kinder treatment from Mother Nature to protect other crops.

"We're hoping to get good rain to help the cotton, peanuts, and soy bean crops," said Bain.

If the board of supervisors approves the declaration of disaster. It'll then move to the governor's desk for approval.

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