SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — 2019’s 6th most important story was the record tough year for South Dakota farmers.
Farmers were unable to plant nearly 4 million acres, the highest number in the country.
State Agriculture Secretary Kim Vanneman says it was worse on top of bad.
“This has been a tough year and it’s been a tough year on top of several tough years.”
And then, if it wasn’t the weather keeping farmers from getting in the fields to plant, it was the weather keeping them from getting in the fields to harvest.
Doug Hanson farms near Elk Point. He had challenges on both ends this year.
“It’s right up there will some of the slowest and most frustrating ones, but it just kinda matches the whole year with this spring starting out the same way.”
And on top of the trouble down on the farm, commodity prices stayed low in 2019, and the trade war with China didn’t help.
President Donald Trump unveiled a $16 billion aid package for farmers directly hurt by the trade war.
In 2019, Avera Health created the Farm and Rural Stress Hotline to give a lifeline to struggling farmers if they needed to talk about what they were going through. It’s 1-800-691-4336, 24 hours a day.
