State agriculture officials have approved a plan for farmers to salvage some of the crops damaged in the Sept. 17 floods.
With approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration, Penn State University and the Pennsylvania Agriculture Department are offering guidelines to farmers who want to turn flood-damaged crops into animal feed.
Record-setting rain in the region caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ivan unleased flash flooding throughout western Pennsylvania two months ago. In some cases, the flooding waterlogged fields full of grain crops, making them unusable for human consumption. The flood waters contaminated the crops with raw sewage, heavy metals and other contaminants. Also, waterlogged crops can mold, making them unusable.
But agriculture officials have said the damaged crops can be used for animal feed if they're segregated from other crops and properly processed. The guidelines approved by state officials include cleaning, drying and heat-treating the crops.
Grain also should be tested for mycotoxins, heavy metals and bacteria before it is used for animal feed, Penn State professors said.
Local Penn State extension agents can help farmers find and follow the guidelines for salvaging flood damaged crops.
As of Friday, extension offices hadn't heard from any local farmers interested in the process, spokesman Chuck Gill said.
Donna Zang, who works in the Butler County extension office, said the salvage guidelines would most likely apply to corn or soybeans since those grains still would have been in the ground when the mid-September floods struck.
"Most of the damage would have been to corn crops in low-lying areas," she said.
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For more information on the approved process for salvaging flood-damaged grain crops, contact a Penn State Cooperative Extension office or visit this Web site: www.cas.psu.edu/docs/biosecurity/EMERGENCY/MarketFlood.html
