Climate swings squeeze farmers

Weather patterns are changing more quickly and that's a big problem for agriculture in our states. WRAL takes a look at some ways farmers can fight back.
Posted 5/27/2025, 12:11:23 AM Updated 5/27/2025, 12:58:06 PM

PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS.

>> THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS

NORMAL. THAT'S TO VISOR.

IT'S ASH TOLD WRAL TALKING

ABOUT HOW SEVERE WEATHER IS

MAKING LIFE MORE DIFFICULT FOR

NORTH CAROLINA'S FARMERS.

SO BASICALLY THINGS JUST

HAVEN'T BEEN CONSISTENT FOR

THEM. AND THEY LIKE

CONSISTENCY. IT'S BEEN HURTING

OUR STATE'S BIGGEST INDUSTRY,

WHICH IS AGRICULTURE WRAL'S.

LIZ MCLAUGHLIN LOOKS AT THE

CLIMATE SQUEEZE ON CROPS AND

THE HIGH-TECH FIXES THAT

FARMERS HOPE WILL KEEP FOOD ON

THE TABLE.

>> FROM FLOODED FIELDS TO

PARCHED PLANTS. GROWERS SAY

THEIR PROFITS ARE WITHERING

WITH THEIR CROPS. THERE'S NO

SUCH THING AS NORMAL. JOHN,

GOOD TO LEAD DATA SCIENTIST.

IT'S ASKED NOTES THE PRECISION

AGRICULTURE USING YIELD

MONITORS AND ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE HAS LIFTED

PRODUCTION FOR DECADES. BUT

WILD CLIMATE SWINGS ARE

STALLING THOSE GAMES.

>> DRIVING TO THE BEACH LAST

YEAR FROM FROM WAKE COUNTY.

YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN IN JUNE

OR JULY WEATHER AND CORN

BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET ANY RAIN.

AND JEN AND COUPLE THAT WITH

THE DUMP OF RAIN FROM HURRICANE

HELENE, WE GOT EXTREMELY LOW

CORN YIELDS LAST YEAR.

>> THAT KID SAID CORNES VALUE

TUMBLING 500 MILLION DOLLARS.

THE STEEPEST ONE-YEAR DROP ON

RECORD FOR NORTH CAROLINA

NATIONWIDE. 40% OF THE COUNTRY

IS ABNORMALLY DRY AND THE

SOUTHWEST IS STUCK IN A MEGA

DROUGHT. THE WORST IN 1200

YEARS. CLIMATE CHANGE IS

IMPACTED.

>> THE WAY DROUGHTS.

>> BEHAVE BIG BECAUSE OF THE

HIGHER AVERAGE TEMPERATURES.

>> HOTTER DROUGHTS PULL

MOISTURE FROM THE SOIL FASTER

SLICING YIELDS AND SQUEEZING

FARM BUDGET. SOME RESEARCHERS

WARN THAT WITHOUT TARGETED

RELIEF. MANY SMALLER FARMS

SIMPLY WON'T SURVIVE TO BE A

REALLY EFFICIENT.

>> WE NEED TO HAVE PRODUCERS

AND INVOLVE THEM IN THIS IN

THE DECISION

MAKING PROCESS.

>> THE GROWING SEASONS AHEAD

WILL TEST WHETHER INNOVATION

CAN OUT RUN A WARMING WORLD.

LIZ MCLAUGHLIN, WRAL NEWS.

THANK YOU. LADIES IN IN NORTH

CAROLINA, LAWMAKERS ARE

ADVANCING THE KORAN FARMERS

RECOVERY ACT TO TEMP 90 MILLION

DOLLARS FROM THE DISASTER

RELIEF FUND IN WASHINGTON.

THAT NEW HOUSE BUDGET PACKAGE

OR YOUR MARK 60 BILLION

© WRAL