Cotton

His senior year of high school, Dalton Dilldine’s dad unexpectedly passed away, leaving a limited succession plan and a teenager with a big decision: take over the operation, start his own farm or go to college. He chose all three.

Here’s a snapshot of distribution by state and crop as well as per-acre payment rates by crop for the $9.8 billion in market relief payments for farmers.

The CR includes nearly $110 billion in disaster and farmer aid, which includes $10 billion in farmer aid and $21 billion ag disaster aid. $2 billion of that disaster aid is specifically for livestock producers. The measure also includes a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill.

The same week Congress released the proposed CR that included $31 billion in aid for producers, a Farm Journal poll asked farmers for their thoughts on whether Congress should pass economic aid.

Agricultural groups said over the weekend they do not support year-end spending package sans economic aid for ag producers.

Late-season rain cut into cotton harvest — another chapter in a year where too much early and mid-season rain inhibited growth, followed by drought and 100-degree days that parched peak season production.

While it’s unclear how Congress will push through the Farm Assistance and Revenue Mitigation Act, it’s likely going to be via the Continuing Resolution. Depending on how payments are calculated, farmers could receive $101 per acre for corn, $53 for soybeans and $73 for wheat.

Deer are feasting on crops at unprecedented rates as the No. 1 economic pest in some farm regions.

Cleanup is underway, but it could take years to put the pieces back together. Farmers say with lower commodity prices, many were already on the financial brink before the storm.

Damage estimated between $95 billion and $110 billion. Farmers in South Georgia were assessing the damage to the state’s $1 billion cotton crop and $400 million pecan crop now in harvest season.