 |
|
|
EMERGENCY LOANS AVAILABLE TO 33 ALABAMA COUNTIES DESIGNATED AS PRIMARY NATURAL DISASTER AREAS
USDA offers emergency loans to producers ahead of 2013 crop season to help combat persistent drought
Farmers in 33 counties designated as primary natural disaster areas due to drought now qualify for low-interest emergency loans with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). FSA State Executive Director Daniel Robinson made the loan announcement Thursday following the release of the weekly Regional Drought Monitor, which is produced in partnership between the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Eligible counties suffered a drought intensity value of D2 (Drought Severe), D3 (Drought Extreme) or D4 (Drought Exceptional) for a minimum of eight consecutive weeks. Affected counties include Bullock, Chambers, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Elmore, Henry, Lee, Macon, Montgomery, Randolph, Russell, Talladega and Tallapoosa.
Farm operators in Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Butler, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Geneva, Houston, Lowndes, Perry, Pike, St. Clair and Shelby counties also qualify for natural disaster benefits because their counties are contiguous.
Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration (Jan. 9 and Jan. 16) to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.
Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
|
|
More Headlines...
