Source: USDA Farm Service Agency | Jan. 7, 2020
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has designated six Texas counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in who suffered losses caused by recent natural disasters may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans.
These natural disaster designations allow FSA to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts.
Drought – May-Sept. 2020
Producers in Fisher and Nolan counties who suffered losses caused by drought that occurred May 1 through Sept. 8, 2020, may be eligible for emergency loans.
Producers in the contiguous Texas counties of Coke, Jones, Kent, Mitchell, Runnels, Scurry, Stonewall and Taylor are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.
Excessive Moisture
Producers in Lamar County who suffered losses caused by excessive moisture that occurred Jan. 1 through Sept. 30, 2020, may be eligible for emergency loans.
Producers in the contiguous counties listed below are also eligible to apply for emergency loans:
- Texas: Delta, Fannin and Red River
- Oklahoma: Bryan and Choctaw
Drought
Producers in Bastrop, Lee and Milam counties who suffered losses due to recent drought may be eligible for emergency loans.
Producers in the contiguous Texas counties of Bell, Burleson, Caldwell, Falls, Fayette, Robertson, Travis, Washington and Williamson are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.
The deadline to apply for emergency loans under this designation is Aug. 18, 2021.
FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.
FSA has a variety of additional programs to help farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster. FSA programs that do not require a disaster declaration include: Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; and the Tree Assistance Program.
Farmers may contact their local USDA service center for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at farmers.gov/recover.