LITTLE ROCK — Crop conditions are deteriorating rapidly as continued drenching rains statewide wreak havoc on the fall harvest. Yield potential and quality decreases the longer finished crops remain in the field.

“It’s a serious problem right now. At this stage, yield and quality losses for Arkansas’ major row crops could easily exceed $650 million,” said Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach. “Presently, the bulk of the state’s fall harvested crops are rated only ‘fair’ in their quality. With additional delays, a growing percentage of the crop will move to a ‘poor’ rating.”

Veach says already 40 percent of the cotton and a third of the state’s soybean crop have a ‘poor’ rating. Seven consecutive weeks with at least one day of measurable rainfall, statewide, have prevented crops from drying out.

• The cotton harvest is at only 15 percent complete, compared to nearly 75 percent by this time normally.

• The soybean harvest is nearly 40 percent complete, compared to a normal harvest rate at this time of 60-70 percent.

• Rice is 15 percent behind its normal harvest rate.

• And the corn harvest is usually done by now, but 10 percent of the crop is still in the field.

The combination of heavy rains during this spring’s planting season and now during harvest is really hurting farmers.

Help for some farmers may already be available. According to Gov. Mike Beebe’s office, a June Secretarial Disaster Declaration for spring flooding in 54 Ark. counties by U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, may already make those farmers eligible for financial help due to present flooding. Gov. Beebe also asked Sec. Vilsack for the same designation for an additional 26 counties on Oct. 9. The second designation, if approved, will also allow farmers in those and adjoining counties access to emergency low-interest loans. The designation also makes farmers eligible for the Supplemental Revenue Assistance program.

“We are continuing to do whatever we can to acquire federal assistance for our farmers who are left hurting by this unusually wet year,” Beebe said in a release on Oct. 22.

Arkansas’ senior U.S. Senator, Blanche Lincoln, chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. She shares that sentiment.

“We’re going to try to do as much as we can as quickly as we can, but assessing the damage and what the damage is does require some time. That’s unfortunate,” Lincoln said recently. “I wouldn’t be surprised if all 75 counties in this state are declared a disaster for disaster assistance.”

Rainfall totals this year average more than 17 inches above normal (from 2.4 inches above normal at Blytheville to more than 28 inches above normal at Newport.) The total will only increase as the National Weather Service is predicting up to 7 more inches of rain in portions of the state Thursday through Friday night.

In Little Rock, the recent rainfall brought the total above 10 inches for the month. October is the third month in 2009 with total rainfall above 10 inches. According to Brian Smith of the National Weather Service, that’s a first since rainfall recordkeeping began on May 1, 1878.