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Drought greatly affecting state's biggest crop

CARVER, Mass. — Forty percent of Massachusetts is now under a severe drought, confirms that USDA

The lack of rain is seriously affecting the states largest agricultural product, cranberries.

The cranberry industry is already struggling because of a worldwide oversupply of cranberries, which has brought the price per berry very low.

Gary Weston has cranberry bogs in Carver and said even the rain Friday wasn't enough.

“It makes me feel better, but really it's not going to amount to anything, it really isn't,” he said.

Weston said he's worried his crop won't grow to full size, which will impact the sale price.

"You get paid by the pound, so they're smaller, they weigh less," he said.

The head of Cape Cod's Cranberry Growers Association says they're now seeking federal aid for farmers who are struggling to keep their crop alive in the summer heat.

"They're living on borrowed money, they're using their savings, so they're just literally hanging onto their farms right now," Brian Wick said.

It's not just this year that farmers are worried about either. Some worry the drought could stress the vines for next year's crop.