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Scott County's Drought Recognized as 'Natural Disaster'

From staff reports

Scott County farmers earned a small victory with last week's drought designation.

And the federal government is offering low-interest loans to offset the losses.

Last Thursday Governor Timothy M. Kaine announced that the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture has designated Scott, Culpeper, Lee, Russell, Smyth, Washington and Wise counties primary natural disaster areas due to reductions in farm production caused by drought and high temperatures that occurred from Jan. 1, 2007, and continuing. This disaster designation makes farmers eligible for low-interest loans and any supplemental relief that may be provided by Congress.

Farmers in several adjacent localities also have received contiguous disaster status and also may be eligible for federal assistance: the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Dickenson, Fauquier, Grayson, Madison, Orange, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Tazewell and Wythe, in addition to the independent cities of Bristol and Norton.

Requests for federal drought disaster designations are currently pending for nine localities: the counties of Bedford, Bland, Brunswick, Caroline, Essex, King George, Lancaster, Loudoun and Orange.

"This USDA disaster designation makes low-interest loans available to farmers in these Virginia localities," said Governor Kaine. "We will continue to work with other areas affected by drought, and we anticipate that the federal government will be responding to these additional requests in the weeks ahead."

Disaster declarations make farm operators in both primary and contiguous areas eligible to be considered for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provided they meet certain eligibility requirements. FSA will consider each application on its own merits by taking into account the extent of the losses, security available, and repayment ability. Local FSA offices can provide affected farmers with additional information.

U.S. Representative Rick Boucher and U.S. Senator Jim Webb also jointly made the announcement.

"The lack of precipitation in Southwest Virginia has resulted in substantial damage to crops, and I am pleased that, as a result of this disaster designation by the Secretary of Agriculture, farmers in our area may now qualify for federal help," Boucher said.

"Farmers and livestock producers in Southwest Virginia have been hit hard by the recent drought, and I believe the severity of the current situation warrants federal assistance that these communities need and are entitled to," said Sen. Webb. "I am pleased that the Secretary of Agriculture has recognized this need, making hundreds of affected farmers eligible to apply for and receive federal aid."

Farmers in localities declared as primary agricultural disaster areas who lose 30 percent of their income are eligible to be considered for up to $500,000 in low-interest loans from the U.S. Farm Service Agency for losses sustained as a result of this year's drought. The agency will individually consider each application based on the extent of loss and other eligibility requirements.

Boucher and Webb will continue to work to secure federal assistance for Southwest Virginia farmers in other localities who have been affected by this year's drought.

According to the Scott County FSA Office, Scott County farmers were already eligible for some loan assistance due to an earlier natural disaster declaration in Tennessee.

On Jan. 17, 2007 the Secretary of Agriculture declared a Secretarial Natural Disaster for certain counties in Tennessee due to drought and extreme heat that occurred from May 1, 2006 and continuing. As a result of this disaster declaration, Scott County was named as a contiguous county where eligible family farms may qualify for FSA EM loan assistance, explained Gerry Johnson, County Executive Director of the Scott County FSA Office. Emergency loan applications will be received through Sept. 17, 2007.

According to Johnson, emergency loan funds may be used to: restore or replace essential property; pay all or part of production costs associated with the disaster year; pay essential family living expenses; reorganize the farm operation; and refinance certain debts.

To be eligible for this type of low interest loans from the Farm Service Agency, you must be unable to get financing from conventional lending sources. For more information contact the Scott County FSA Office at 386-3951 or visit the FSA website at <www.fsa.usda.gov/> . The Scott County FSA Office is located in the USDA Service Center, adjacent to the Gateway Shopping Center in Gate City.

 

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