Could Warmer Temps Threaten Local Crops?

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — South Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers is closely monitoring unseasonably warm temperatures’ possible impact on crops, so you don’t end up paying more at the grocery store. He says due to a four percent deficit of rainfall so far this year, he suspects local farmers will invest in irrigation systems of their own, purchase crop insurance in case of a natural disaster, like a severe drought, and depend more heavily on technology to stay a step ahead of Mother Nature. He claims that, even in the midst of a down economy statewide last year, the farming component of the economy held its own last year. He hopes to see a repeat this year. He says don’t anticipate a sudden hike in grocery prices just yet.