MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Looking at rainfall numbers alone, you would assume the severe drought of 2024 is over, but that is not the case.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt agreed the numbers look great—data shows the northern part of the state is only about a quarter inch short of the normal average. Much of the rain came in downpours, so many important things like mature trees and aquifers have not yet been restored to pre-drought levels.
“Some of these heavy rains are great for the rivers and streams in making them more navigable,” Leonhardt said. “But, we have to get that soil moisture and aquifers back up because some of them are still in a deficit.”
The late frost and cool temperatures did impact the fruit crop and some vegetable farmers. The impact on the harvest won’t be known until later this year, but Leonhardt believes it will have a negative impact.
“It looks like we’re going to have a reduced fruit crop, and then we’re going to have some of the folks in the vegetable business that are having trouble dealing with the late frost,” Leonhardt said.
The drought of 2024 will be felt in the 2025 honey harvest, according to Leonhardt. Pollination conditions were less than ideal, leading to lower production and the loss of 40 percent of the hives statewide.
“We lost a lot of bees because they weren’t able to store enough honey to get through the winter,” Leonhardt said. “Because of the drought, there wasn’t enough pollen out there to build up the honey, so we lost a number of hives.”
He said the dairy industry is showing some signs of growth. Much of the growth has been in smaller operations in the state that are selling pasteurized milk directly to the consumer from the farm.
“I learned of a new farmer down in the southern part of the state that’s going to start shipping milk to United Dairy, and the first shipment was two weeks ago, so that is good news,” Leonhardt said.
Leonhardt said the industry has faced multiple major disasters over the last five years. The coronavirus disrupted production and distribution, but the systems have recovered. The drought that technically we’re still in and the avian flu outbreak that typically lasts for about a year that has continued for three years.
“We’ve had these things happen before in West Virginia, but no disasters have been so close together in so few years,” Leonhardt said. “So, I’m very proud of the agriculture community in the way we have come together to handle these natural disasters.”