Thursday, November 5, 2009

Texas Counties Plagued by Drought Eligible for Emergency Loans

On Tuesday, Secretary Vilsack released the final results of a March 6, 2009 request from Governor Perry to designate all 254 Texas counties as primary disaster counties on account of the record-setting drought that has plagued the Lone Star State.

After more than seven months of collecting moisture data and crop losses, USDA announced that 223 Texas counties are eligible for assistance from the Farm Service Agency. That means producers in these counties may now apply for emergency loans and the Supplemental Revenue Insurance (SURE) Program created in the 2008 Farm Bill.

Emergency loans can be used for costs associated with operating expenses or replacement of damaged property. The SURE Program provides disaster payments to producers in disaster-designated counties with crops covered by crop insurance or the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage. If you are a producer in one of these counties, I encourage you to contact your local FSA office to take advantage of these vital programs.

To see a list of the designated counties, click here.

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