An irrigation tunnel breach puts pressure on farmers in Wyoming and Nebraska and at a time when weather and trade weigh on the sector. As incomes begin to fracture, leaders push to find relief for the ag community.
More than 150 thousand farm acres remain dry after an irrigation tunnel collapse and it’s not clear when water will return. To ease losses Nebraska and Wyoming Farm Bureaus want USDA to offer crop insurance to impacted growers. According to the Risk Management Association, the cause of the collapse could limit insurance payouts.
Farmers worry this short term issue could turn into long term losses with growers in both states reporting total losses. Efforts to find a lasting solution for the tunnel face judiciary hurdles. Officials estimate the collapsed irrigation tunnel could cost Nebraska & Wyoming about $89-million in economic losses.
Report by John Jenkinson