USDA Designates 9 Counties in Florida as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Randall Weiseman Alabama, Field Crops, Florida, General, Georgia, Specialty Crops, Weather

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2014 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated nine counties in Florida as primary natural disaster areas in two separate designations due to various disasters.

“Our hearts go out to those Florida farmers and ranchers affected by recent natural disasters,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “President Obama and I are committed to ensuring that agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation’s economy by sustaining the successes of America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities through these difficult times. We’re also telling Florida producers that USDA stands with you and your communities when severe weather and natural disasters threaten to disrupt your livelihood.”

Designation #1
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties in Florida as primary natural disaster areas due to excessive rain that occurred from Jan. 1- March 14, 2014.

Farmers and ranchers in Alachua, Bradford, Clay, Duval, Marion and Volusia counties in Florida also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous.

Designation # 2
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Alachua, Bradford, Nassau, Okaloosa, Palm Beach and Walton in Florida as primary natural disaster areas due to freeze and frost that occurred from Jan. 7-31, 2014.

Farmers and ranchers in the following counties in Florida also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous. Those counties are:
Baker Gilchrist Martin
Bay Glades Okeechobee
Broward Hendry Putnam
Clay Holmes Santa Rosa
Columbia Levy Union
Duval Marion Washington

Farmers and ranchers in the following counties in Alabama and Georgia also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous.

Alabama
Covington, Escambia and Geneva

Georgia
Charlton

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas on April 16, 2014, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for 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 EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.

Additional programs available to assist farmers and ranchers include the Emergency Conservation Program, Federal Crop Insurance, and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.