USDA has granted a disaster designation to five Michigan counties, which makes farm operators in those counties — as well as in several contiguous counties — eligible for assistance from the USDA Farm Service Agency, including FSA emergency loans.

In July and November, Joel Johnson, state executive director of the Michigan USDA Farm Service Agency, requested a primary county disaster designation for five Michigan counties because of weather-related losses caused by a late-spring freeze and a lengthy summer drought during the 2020 growing season.

Audrey Sebolt, Michigan Farm Bureau horticulture specialist, says that USDA will be unable to make a complete and accurate determination of production losses for the current crop year until final harvest has been completed and actual losses can be determined.

“USDA subsequently reviewed the loss assessment reports and determined that production losses were sufficient to warrant a USDA natural disaster designation," Sebolt says. "All five counties were determined to be primary natural disaster areas, and additional areas of the state were named as contiguous disaster counties."

Designation No. 1 involves a frost and freeze that occurred from May 5 through May 14. Primary counties affected are Antrim, Grand Traverse and Leelanau. Contiguous counties affected are Benzie, Crawford, Manistee, Otsego, Charlevoix, Kalkaska, Missaukee and Wexford.

Designation No. 2 involves a drought that occurred from June 29 through Sept. 26. Primary counties affected are Antrim, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau and Otsego. Contiguous counties affected are Benzie, Cheboygan, Manistee, Montmorency, Roscommon, Charlevoix, Crawford, Missaukee, Oscoda and Wexford.

Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of a secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans. FSA considers each emergency loan application on its own merits, accounting for the extent of production losses on the farm, and the security and repayment ability of the operator.

Local FSA offices can provide affected farmers with further information.

For additional information about FSA emergency loans, visit bit.ly/2KNPM75.

Source: MFB, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.