Alabama farmers look to recover from 2023 drought

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Parts of Alabama will see rain over the next two days, providing much-needed relief for Alabama’s farmers who are recovering from last year’s drought.

Lifelong farmer Thomas Ellis hopes he has enough food for his cattle through the rest of this winter.

“If we have to use it all up, we’re gonna start into the summer next year a little behind,” said Ellis.

His concern stems from a statewide drought that lasted from the summer into November last year.

Livestock is not the only thing impacted by last year the drought. According to Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture, Rick Pate, some of the crops didn’t produce what was normally expected.

Pate says south Jefferson County up to Marshall County is still experiencing some drought conditions. Pate hopes this week’s rain will improve that.

State Representative Reed Ingram runs a farm and says this week’s rain doesn’t play a huge role in drought recovery.

“We don’t have anything planted now,” said Ingram. “But, it would help us a lot to be able to get the deficit back up. We’re in a deficit of rainfall. So just to get that water table back up helps a lot for the spring planning.”

The state agriculture department has new financial incentives in the new year related to various parts of the agriculture industry.

“We can make low-interest loans to anybody that wants to put in a meat processing facility,” said Pate.

Unsure of what the new year holds, Ellis says the agriculture industry is at the mercy of Mother Nature.

“Nobody loves the earth that we’re given a privilege to take care of more than that we do,” said Ellis.

Farmers impacted by drought are advised to contact their local USDA office.

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