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Farmers in more than half the counties in Ohio are eligible to apply for emergency loans following a series of natural disasters since November 2018, culminating in a disastrous planting season this spring.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue granted the disaster designations following rain, flooding or other weather conditions that prevented thousands of acres to be planted in Ohio in 2019.

“We are so appreciative of our state leaders from the governor to both our U.S. senators, our entire congressional delegation and so many others working to draw attention to the plight of far too many farmers here in Ohio by asking for these disaster designations,” said Jack Irvin, OFBF senior director of state and national policy. “Having USDA take action on those requests is a welcomed step.”

According to USDA, a secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in primary and contiguous counties eligible to be considered for certain assistance from the Farm Service Agency, which may include Farm Service Agency emergency loans.

“While we are still learning and working to identify exactly what resources might be available for those in a disaster area, we applaud the national recognition that farmers across Ohio are in a challenging situation to say the least,” Irvin said. “No one program will ever be able to erase the struggle in these disaster areas, but hopefully can offer a few small tools to help our farmers survive another day.”

Online Extras

USDA designates 16 Ohio counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas–News Release Aug. 12, 2019

USDA designates 12 Ohio counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas–News Release July 31, 2019