Hurricane Matthew inflicts significant damage on Carolina ag

The flood waters haven’t receded yet, but initial reports show that North Carolina’s agriculture industries took a beating from Hurricane Matthew. State agriculture officials do not have damage estimates, but the 48 counties affected by the storm are some of North Carolina’s largest agricultural counties.  “The eastern counties represent 71% of the state’s total farm cash receipts,” agriculture commissioner Steve Troxler said. “While lots of crops were harvested before the storm, many crops, such as soybeans, sweet potatoes, peanuts and cotton, were just in the early stages of harvest.”  In addition to crops, eastern North Carolina also has large poultry and swine populations. Initial reports show that 1.9 million birds, mostly broiler chickens, have died as a result of the storm. However, considering the extent of the flooding, state veterinarian Doug Meckes expects that number to rise.