WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2018 — Agricultural producers in Missouri who suffered losses and damages due to recent drought on two separate occasions may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans. The loans are made available under the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue.

Drought: 19 counties

For the recent drought, the Secretary has designated Andrew, Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Mercer, Nodaway, Randolph, Ray, Saline and Sullivan counties in Missouri as primary natural disaster areas.

Producers in the contiguous counties of Adair, Atchison, Audrain, Boone, Buchanan, Clay, Cooper, Holt, Howard, Jackson, Knox, Lafayette, Monroe, Pettis, Platte, Putnam, Shelby and Worth in Missouri, along with Decatur, Page, Ringgold, Taylor and Wayne counties in Iowa, and Doniphan County in Kansas, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Drought:  Six counties

For the recent drought, the Secretary has designated Adair, Buchanan, Howard, Putnam, Schuyler and Scotland counties in Missouri as primary natural disaster areas.

Producers in the contiguous counties of Andrew, Boone, Chariton, Clark, Clinton, Cooper, DeKalb, Knox, Linn, Macon, Mercer, Platte, Randolph, Saline and Sullivan in Missouri, along with Appanoose, Davis, Van Buren and Wayne counties in Iowa, and Atchison and Doniphan counties in Kansas, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in all designated primary and contiguous counties will have until April 1, 2019, to apply for emergency 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 emergency loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster.

Other FSA programs that can provide assistance, but do not require a disaster declaration, include: Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; the Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised 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 https://www.farmers.gov/recover.