Oklahoma Farmers Also Being Affected By The Coronavirus

Oklahoma farmers struggle after trying to recover from last years flooding.

THEY TELL US THEY'RE SEEINGA DROP IN SALES.

WHILE STILLTRYING TO RECOVER FROM LASTMAY'S FLOODING.OUR TATIANNA TAYLORINTRODUCES US TO ONE FARMERWHO LOST NEARLYTHREE-THOUSAND ACRES OFGRAIN AND WHEAT LAST YEAR...AND IS NOW TRYING TOOVERCOME A NEW HURDLE."It's stressful but we willmake it work." DARREN PERRYFARMS AOBUT 3 THOUSAND ACRESOF LAND IN FORT GIBSON.AFTER LAST MAY'S FLOOD, HELOST NEARLY ALL HIS CROPS...HE WASN'T EXPECTING ANYTHINGLIKE THE CORONAVIRUS TO HITFARMERS THIS YEAR."The future markets aredown.

That's what we have togo off of.

That's what weare seeing, grain marketsacross the board are slowingdown.

PERRY SAYS FARMERS AREALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THEPOTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER MAYFLOOD WITH MILD TO MODERATEDAMAGES THIS SPRING."It would be a double hit,but for us we are moreworried about the flood.", the amount of rainfall weare getting is making itvery challenging forfarmers to get theirfertilizers out, theherbicides out, so the cropsare kind of tough.

They aretaking beating from the rainand it's putting everybodybehind."ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE PLENTY TOBE CONCERNED WITH NOW, HESAYS HE WILL CONTINUE TO BEOPTIMISTIC."It is stressful butfarming, you gotta beoptimistic, tomorrow isgoing to be a better day,and farmers across Americawill get up and try again,they don't have quit inthem." ANTHONY HELSEYAGREES.

HE'S BEEN FARMINGTHE LAST 10 YEARS.

HE TRIESTO ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES."We just have to march on,there is nothing else we cando, just prices are what wehave to deal with." HISBIGGEST CONCERN ISN'T THEVIRUS OR POSSIBILITY OFANOTHER FLOOR...ITS YEARS OF DECLINING CROPPRICES"I mean if we could seeprices back up to where theywere 2010, 2012, it would beamazing for the farm.""A lot of prices haven'tbeen hit tremendously yetbecause of the coronavirusbut we are not that far intoit yet.

So we are just kindof having a wait and seedeal right now." TATIANNATAYLOR,