Agricultural producers were hit hard by weather across Wyoming throughout 2019, but on the upside, government agencies rose to the occasion on many fronts, a Wyoming Department of Agriculture spokesperson said.
Stacia Berry, Department of Ag deputy director, said 2019 was a challenging year for farmers and ranchers alike, but Wyoming came out on top by the end.
Listed below, Berry highlighted major problems producers faced in 2019 and notable boons for the industry from the department’s point of view.
High: Trade momentum
In December, the U.S. House approved the United Sates-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), an update to the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement.
“There’s a lot of positive momentum in the trade area,” Berry said. “From an agriculture perspective, USMCA is something we’re excited to see moving forward.”
While the agreement is heavily focused on the automotive industry, Berry said it could also provide several benefits to ag producers who trade internationally.
“Mexico and Canada are two of the top three markets for ag goods exported from the U.S.,” she said.
The nation is also in the first phase of trade negotiations with China and opening additional market access in Japan.
“Those three trade deals are going to provide more opportunities for export for agriculture in general, but also more opportunities for (Wyoming) producers,” Berry said.
The Wyoming Business Council is getting ahead of the trade deals with a Wyoming beef industry study that could help producers understand how best to capitalize on foreign markets, said Ron Gullberg, the Business Council business development director.
“Even though there’s trade deals being cut, it’s not like the flood gates open, and we’re ready to ship a bunch of beef,” Gullberg said. “We’ve got to work on the supply and logistics, too.”
High: Governor’s initiatives
The ag industry received significant support from the state’s executive branch in 2019, Berry said.
“Gov. Mark Gordon has a great focus on agriculture in land health, soil quality and his focus on invasive species,” she said. “As well, (Wyoming’s) First Lady (Jennie Gordon) released big news last year with a hunger initiative for children around the state.”
In October, Gov. Mark Gordon launched an initiative to slow the spread of invasive plant species across Wyoming.
Wyoming’s agricultural lands could experience significant impacts as a result of terrestrial invasive species, Berry said.
The initiative is slated to include both technical and policy teams.
To address food insecurity, Jennie Gordon founded the Wyoming Hunger Initiative last year.
“As agriculture is in the food production and safety businesses, they have great initiatives that work hand-in-hand with the work that is being done,” Berry said.
Working together, ag initiatives, non-profit organizations and Jennie Gordon’s initiative could significantly reduce the number of people in Wyoming who spend their days wondering where the next meal will come from, she added.
High: Leadership positions
Department of Agriculture Director Doug Miyamoto was honored with high-level national appointments that could allow Wyoming to play an integral role in future policy decisions, Berry said.
“We are strategically positioned right now for Director Miyamoto to serve as the president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA),” she said. “He was just installed as the secretary-treasurer on the board, and will be the president four years from now.”
The position could grant Wyoming access and opportunities in national policymaking decisions that could affect the state.
“To my knowledge, there has never been a president of NASDA from Wyoming,” Berry said.
During the summer of 2019, Miyamoto was also appointed president of the Western United States Agriculture Trade Association (WUSATA).
“WUSATA promotes the export of U.S. food and agriculture products throughout the world from the Western region of the country,” Berry said.
In conjunction with those leadership positions, Berry said the department has worked with the Wyoming Congressional Delegation to support farmers and ranchers in Washington D.C.
Low: Weather
A late spring and early winter prevented ag producers from getting seeds in the ground early enough and forced many to prematurely harvest their crops.
“In April and May, it was good and bad in that it was wet and cold,” Berry said. “Even though we were getting more moisture than we typically would, alleviating drought worries, that also put most everybody behind on spring work.”
Ag producers waited out the weather, which pushed harvest time later into fall, creating a domino effect that came to a head when the snows flew early.
“Summer felt like it was here, and then, gone,” Berry said.
While the weather affected crops statewide, she explained its impact was particularly felt by sugar beet producers and by crop producers in southeastern Wyoming, where increased spring precipitation was determined to be the primary factor in the Gering/Fort Laramie Irrigation Canal collapse.
Low: Tunnel collapse
In July, a century-old irrigation canal collapsed, leaving more than 100,000 acres of farm land in Wyoming and Nebraska without water during the hottest stretch of the year.
“(The USDA Risk Management Agency) were able to determine the cause of the collapse was weather related,” Berry said. “That was a very positive thing, because it meant ag producer’s insurance could cover their losses.”
Originally estimated to cost the economy about $90 million, the collapse affected more than 400 producers in Wyoming and Nebraska.
A bout of late summer precipitation staved off the worst of the damages, a University of Wyoming spokesperson said in December
Tunnel repairs are slated to be complete by spring.
Low: Sugar beet harvest
Sugar beet markets have been in flux for the last several years, resulting in the 2018 closure of a nearly century-old sugar beet plant in Goshen County, but weather was the culprit behind crop problems in 2019.
“A late spring and an early winter really hurt the sugar beet producers,” Berry said. “Your crop is never going to be as good when it’s frozen in the ground, and you’re trying to dig it out.”
A root product, freezing in the ground reduces the beet’s sugar content, and subsequently, its market price.
In December, Gordon sought to have the USDA declare Laramie, Goshen and Platte counties federal disaster areas as a result of the decline in beet harvests.
““Weather is a defining part of agriculture,” Berry said. “Wyoming is home to a lot of harsh weather, and you have to be very resilient as an agriculturist in any part of the state.”
It’s not yet clear if 2019’s weather will impact the 2020 growing season, but Berry said the department has its fingers crossed for a break in the storm.
“Even though winter showed up early, it depends on how long it decides to stay,” she said. “Weather really can dictate how any year goes for agriculture.”
