Georgia and Florida agricultural producers who suffered losses and damages due to recent natural disasters may be eligible for USDA Farm Service Agency emergency loans.

The loans are made available under the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

March 2018 Freeze

For the freeze occurring March 8 through March 23, the secretary has designated the Georgia counties of Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Brantley, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Glynn, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Lanier, Long, Lowndes, Montgomery, Pierce, Treutlen, Ware and Wayne as primary natural disaster areas.

Producers in the contiguous counties of Berrien, Brooks, Camden, Cook, Emanuel, Johnson, Laurens, Liberty, McIntosh, Tattnall, Telfair, Tift, Toombs, Turner, Wheeler and Wilcox in Georgia and Baker, Columbia, Hamilton, Madison and Nassau counties in Florida are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

April 2018 Freeze

For the freeze occurring on April 17, the secretary has designated Fannin, Gilmer, Towns and Union counties in Georgia primary natural disaster areas.

Producers in the contiguous counties of Dawson, Gordon, Habersham, Lumpkin, Murray, Pickens, Rabun and White in Georgia; Cherokee and Clay counties in North Carolina; and Polk County in Tennessee are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Related:Photos show Perdue visiting Georgia, Florida farms damaged by Irma

Hurricane Irma 2017 Crop

For losses and damaged caused by Hurricane Irma for the 2017 crop year, the secretary has designated the Florida counties of DeSoto, Hardee, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties as primary natural disaster areas.

Producers in the contiguous counties of Charlotte, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Manatee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk and Sarasota in Florida are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Hurricane Irma 2018 Crop

For losses and damage caused by Hurricane Irma for the 2018 crop year, the secretary has designated the Florida county of DeSoto County as a primary natural disaster area.

Producers in the contiguous counties of Charlotte, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, Manatee and Sarasota in Florida are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

March 4 Deadline

Producers in all designated primary and contiguous counties will have until March 4, 2019 to apply for emergency 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. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the emergency loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster.