Gov. Matt Blunt announced last week that USDA will send $3.6 million in Emergency Conservation Program funding to help Missouri farmers and ranchers in rehabilitating land damaged by natural disasters or drought in 2007.

"The announcement of the emergency funding is great news for Missouri farm families," Blunt says. "Although Missouri's diverse weather will always have a major impact on the state's agricultural producers, these funds will assist our farmers as they recover from damages caused by the ice storm in January, tornado damage in March and spring flood damage across our state."

ECP provides emergency funding and technical assistance for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters and, in some cases, for carrying out emergency water conservation measures in periods of severe drought.

Farm Service Agency county committees determine land eligibility based on on-site inspections of damage taking into account the type and extent of damage. The following counties will receive the emergency funding:
Tornado damage – $12,000 for Howell County;
Ice storm damage - $990,000 – Dade, Laclede, Lawrence, McDonald and Newton counties;
Flood damage – $2,626,600 for Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Clay, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Lafayette, Linn, Livingston, Nodaway, Platte, Ray and Worth counties.

"Missouri agriculture is vital to our state's economy," Blunt says. "We will continue to do everything we can to assist our state's farmers in recovering from their losses."

FYI
For more information on eligibility requirements, visit disaster.fsa.usda.gov or contact your local FSA office.