Farm Progress

Ag secretary grants disaster designation for 11 Maryland counties

The designation also includes five counties across Delaware, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

August 1, 2018

1 Min Read
FLOODING RELEIF: Disaster declaration makes farmers eligible for USDA emergency loans.John Vogel

In response to Gov. Larry Hogan’s letter requesting federal relief for Maryland farmers affected by this spring’s excessive rainfall, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has granted disaster designation for widespread crop losses in 11 counties.

"Our administration is committed to helping our hard-working farmers who were severely affected by record rainfall and widespread flooding, in most cases losing entire crops," Hogan says. "This funding will provide much-needed assistance and relief to Maryland’s farmers and bolster our vital agricultural sector, and we are pleased that our federal partners have granted our request." 

This designation allows farm operators in the four primary counties of Dorchester, Frederick, Somerset, and Wicomico, plus seven contiguous counties — Caroline, Carroll, Howard, Montgomery, Talbot, Washington and Worcester — to be considered for assistance from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met.
The designation also includes two counties in Pennsylvania — Adams and Franklin — two counties in Virginia — Accomack and Loudoun — and Sussex County in Delaware.

Farmers must have purchased crop insurance on eligible crops to qualify for USDA disaster assistance programs.

This assistance includes USDA Farm Service Agency emergency loans. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of a secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loan assistance. FSA will consider each emergency loan application on its own merits. The agency will take into account the extent of production losses, security available and repayment ability.

Source: USDA

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