Craig now on drought list
CRAIG COUNTY – Craig County has been designated one of nine counties in Virginia eligible to receive federal drought disaster relief.
The United States Department of Agriculture announced eligibility effective Dec. 27. Besides Craig, other counties in which producers can apply for assistance because of losses due to drought and excessive heat on May 19 and continuing drought conditions are: Botetourt, Charles City, Gloucester, Henrico, Mathews, New Kent, Prince George and Sussix.
Kaitlyn Starkey of New Mexico pets Rose, a miniature donkey, while she and her dad, Jonathan Starkey of Langley Air Force Base were visiting her grandparents, John and Brenda Starkey of Catawba. Kaitlyn also got an opportunity to ride Rose. Photo by Ann Harrell
Farmers and ranchers in counties and independent cities that are contiguous also can qualify. Those range from Alleghany to James City, as well as producers in Monroe County, W. Va., because their county is contiguous.
All qualified farm operators in the designated areas are eligible for low-interest emergency loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency if they meet eligibility.
Farmers in Craig and other 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.
USDA also has made other programs available to assist farmers and ranchers, including the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE), that was approved as part of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008; the Emergency Conservation Program; Federal Crop Insurance; and the Noninsured Crop Disaster 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.
