Freezing temperatures could 'devastate' NC wheat crop, experts say

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — The crop is plush, green and plentiful at Reid Phifer's farm in Union County.

The problem is, for farmers like Phifer, it’s growing too soon.

“We've had extremely warm weather; you're aware of this,” Phifer said.

Much like the temperature, this winter has brought its highs, and now lows.

Now, those same crops are at risk of freeze injuries, with temperatures expected to drop into the low 20s. Experts are most concerned with wheat crops being exposed to temperatures at or below 28°F for more than three hours.

“And if it freezes, it will kill that head,” Phifer said.

Phifer surveyed acres of land in Union County and found little to no remedy to protect his crops.

“It's kind of hard to cover hundreds of acres of wheat, and you have got thousands over the county,” Phifer said.

There are nearly 400,000 acres of wheat crops across the state, according to Angela Post, an agriculture expert at North Carolina State.

She said that much of the wheat crop is used to feed chickens and hogs, which could mean higher prices for meat in the months to come, if local farmers, like Phifer, can't supply it.

“You've worked all that time for nothing,” Phifer said. “It's a bad situation, a very bad situation.”

Cox Media Group