U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue recently designated 22 Michigan counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers who suffered losses because of recent weather events may be eligible for USDA Farm Service Agency emergency loans.

These designations allow FSA to extend 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.

Freeze

Producers in Arenac, Berrien, Cass, Huron, Iosco, Kalamazoo, Ogemaw, Oscoda, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties who suffered losses because of freezes that occurred between Jan. 1, 2019, and April 30, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous counties of Alcona, Allegan, Alpena, Barry, Bay, Branch, Calhoun, Crawford, Gladwin, Montgomery, Otsego, Roscommon, Sanilac and Tuscola — along with Elkhart, LaGrange, LaPorte and St. Joseph counties in Indiana — also are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Excessive rain

Producers in Alcona, Alpena, Calhoun, Iosco, Isabella, Jackson, Montcalm, Montmorency, Saginaw and Van Buren counties who suffered losses because of excessive rain that occurred between March 1, 2019, and Sept. 1, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans. 

Producers in the contiguous counties of Allegan, Arenac, Barry, Bay, Berrien, Branch, Cass, Cheboygan, Clare, Clinton, Crawford, Eaton, Genesee, Gladwin, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lenawee, Livingston, Mecosta, Midland, Newaygo, Ogemaw, Osceola, Oscoda, Presque Isle, St. Joseph, Shiawassee, Tuscola and Washtenaw also are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Excessive rain, flooding and flash flooding

Producers in Allegan and Ottawa counties who suffered losses because of excessive rain, flooding and flash flooding that occurred between March 1, 2019, and Sept. 1, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans. 

Producers in the contiguous counties of Barry, Kalamazoo, Kent, Muskegon and Van Buren also are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

The deadline to apply for these emergency loans is Aug. 17.

FSA will review the applications based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.

FSA has a variety of additional programs to help farmers recover from this disaster. FSA programs that do not require a disaster declaration include Emergency Assistance for Livestock, the 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 available online at farmers.gov/recover.

Source: USDA, 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.