The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to remind farmers and ranchers and those who reside in rural communities impacted Hurricane Irma, they have programs that provide assistance in the wake of disasters.
Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue said, “In recent weeks, millions of Americans have been affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.” He said, “USDA employees have been working tirelessly and will continue to stand ready to help those in need.”
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers many safety-net programs to help producers recover from eligible losses, including the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program, Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) and the Tree Assistance Program. The FSA Emergency Conservation Program provides funding and technical assistance for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters.
Producers located in counties that received a primary or contiguous disaster designation are eligible for low-interest emergency loans to help them recover from production and physical losses.
Compensation also is available to producers who purchased coverage through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, which protects non-insurable crops against natural disasters that result in lower yields, crop losses or prevented planting. USDA encourages farmers and ranchers to contact their local FSA office to learn what documents can help the local office expedite assistance, such as farm records, receipts, and pictures of damages or losses.
Plus, producers with coverage through the RMA administered federal crop insurance program should contact their crop insurance agent. For more information about any of these programs, click here. https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fact-sheet-usda-programs-assist-individuals-small-businesses_1.pdf