Crop Devastation Nears $3 Billion

Wallaces Farmer
Rod Swoboda rswoboda@farmprogress.com
June 23, 2008

Flood damage to Iowa crops is between $2.5 and $3 billion, according to an estimate made Friday by Iowa officials. "The devastation is unbelievable," says Craig Lang, president of the Iowa Farm Bureau.

Lang, along with Iowa Lt. Governor Patty Judge and nine other Iowa ag officials and leaders of commodity groups, took a four-hour helicopter tour Friday June 20. The ride gave them a bird's eye view of the agricultural damage caused by record flooding in the eastern half of the state.

The farm leaders flew from Des Moines to Mason City, Cedar Rapids and Burlington in an Iowa National Guard Black Hawk helicopter. It's the first step in assessing the damage suffered by Iowa farmers and agribusiness firms from the state's widespread floods. The losses include damage done by flooding of corn, soybean and hay crops and to pastures.

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