Southern States face worst year on record

10 August 1998

Southern States face worst year on record

FARMERS gripped by the heatwave tearing the heart out of the southern USA are looking at their worst year in living memory.

Temperatures regularly reach 110°F (48°C) in the shade and there has been no rain for 43 days.

Last month, agricultural secretary Dan Glickman declared 66 of Oklahomas 77 counties disaster areas. All Texan counties have been declared disaster regions.

The Guardian reports on the desperate straits of farming in the region.

• Crops “melt” in Oklahoma heat, FWi, 21 July
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  The Guardian 10/08/98 page 2/3 (G2)