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All but four Ohio counties have been designated eligible for federal disaster assistance because of losses caused by excessive rain, flooding, hail, high winds and tornadoes that occurred from May 1, 2003, and continuing.

The only counties not eligible are Belmont, Fulton, Lucas and Williams. Of the 84 remaining, 70 were designated disaster areas and 14 are eligible because they are contiguous with designated counties.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) said qualified farm operators in the approved counties are eligible for low-interest emergency (EM) loans from FSA, provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in these counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for the 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 available, in addition to the emergency loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.

U.S. Department of Agriculture has also made other programs available to assist farmers and ranchers, including the Emergency Conservation Program, Federal Crop Insurance and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.

Interested farmers may contact their local FSA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online. Go to www.ofbf.org, click on featured links, FSA disaster assistance.