Mississippi Delta Farmers Wither Under Weight Of 4-Month Flood

09:28

June 04, 2019

Peter O'Dowd

Rows of farm land near Holly Bluff, Miss., are covered with backwater flooding, Thursday, May 23, 2019. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP)

About a quarter million acres of fertile farmland in the Mississippi Delta have been underwater since February. Some farmers haven't planted a single crop this year, and their losses will likely be devastating to the local economy. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd explains why the water hasn't receded and how farmers are responding to yet another challenge to their livelihoods.

Nearly a quarter million acres of farmland in the Mississippi Delta have been flooded since February. (Peter O'Dowd/Here & Now)

Some farmers in the Mississippi Delta haven't planted a single crop this year because of the floods. (Courtesy of Victoria Darden)

This segment aired on June 4, 2019.