WASHINGTON – Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated four Texas counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Bee, Gillespie, Goliad, and Live Oak counties who suffered losses due to recent drought may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency emergency loans.
This natural disaster designation allows the Farm Service Agency to extend much-needed 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.
Producers in the contiguous Texas counties of Atascosa, Blanco, DeWitt, Duval, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, McMullen, Mason, Refugio, San Patricio and Victoria are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.
The deadline to apply for these emergency loans is Sept. 8.
The Farm Service Agency will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.
The Farm Service Agency has a variety of additional programs to help farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster. Farm Service Agency programs that do not require a disaster declaration include the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; and Tree Assistance Program.
Farmers may contact their local U.S. Department of Agriculture service center for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at farmers.gov/recover.
