|
USDA designates 6 counties in North Carolina as primary natural disaster areas
Story Date: 4/4/2016
| |
Source: USDA, 3/30/16
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, Washington and Wayne counties in North Carolina as primary natural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain and flooding that occurred from Jan. 2, 2016, and continues.
Our hearts go out to those North Carolina 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 nations economy by sustaining the successes of Americas farmers, ranchers, and rural communities through these difficult times. Were also telling North Carolina producers that USDA stands with you and your communities when severe weather and natural disasters threaten to disrupt your livelihood.
Farmers and ranchers in the following counties in North Carolina also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous.
Those counties are:
Bertie Currituck Lenoir Perquimans
Camden Duplin Martin Pitt
Chowan Greene Pamlico Sampson
Craven Johnston Pasquotank Wilson
All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas on March 30, 2016, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDAs 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.
Other FSA programs that can provide assistance, but do not require a disaster declaration, include the Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and FarmRaised Fish Program; and the Tree 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.
|
|
|
|
