Flooding and Crop Disaster Information

Hello Vegetable and Fruit Grower

Due to the flooding that occurred in many placed over night, throughout WNC last night and may continue to occur this weekend,  I am asking that growers, contact me or one of my colleagues to let us know the extent of damage that you may have.  I have already been out this morning looking at flooded fields and at least one severely damaged nursery.  We need to collect as mush information as we can to provide to the folk at FSA in case the area can get any crop disaster relief.

Please send me an e-mail at cdruth@ncsu.edu  or call  my office at 828-255-5522 and leave a message.
Feel free to share this information with fellow farmers that may not have internet access.


In addition please read the following materials from Diane Ducharme as it relates to the harvest and sale of crops in flooded fields:

Guidance for Industry: Evaluating the Safety of Flood-affected Food Crops for Human Consumption

http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/EmergencyResponse/ucm287808.htm

This guidance sets for the best management practices given current research-based information. 

This document sets forth information on:

• ·      Defines flooding vs. pooled water (after rainfalls)
• ·      Safety of food crops when floodwaters contacted the edible portions of the crops (surface & underground crops, crops with a hard outer skin or shell, and grains, nuts, corns, etc.)
• ·      Safety of food crops when flood waters did NOT contact the edible portions of the crops
• ·      Assessment of Flood-affected Fields before Replanting, possible testing needed, and while crops are not in the fields
• ·      Additional Controls to Avoid Cross-contamination after Flooding

This guidance represents the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) current thinking on this topic. It does not create or confer any rights for or on any person and does not operate to bind FDA or the public. You can use an alternative approach if the approach satisfies the requirements of the applicable statutes and regulations. If you want to discuss an alternative approach, contact the FDA staff responsible for implementing this guidance. If you cannot identify the appropriate FDA staff, call the telephone number listed on the title page of this guidance.