Low-interest loans available for agricultural producers affected by natural disasters

Agricultural producers in Texas who lost property in recent natural disasters are eligible for physical loss loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA’s Farm Service Agency offers these loans for losses caused by wildfires that occurred on April 10 and April 12.

FSA is offering these low-interest emergency loans to producers with a qualifying loss in the counties named below. Approval is limited to applicants who suffered severe physical losses only, including the loss of buildings and livestock. The deadline for producers in designated and contiguous counties to apply for loans for physical losses is Jan. 23, 2019.

An Administrator’s Physical Loss Notification was issued for the primary damaged area of Custer, Dewey, Harmon, Harper, Roger Mills and Woodward counties in Oklahoma.

Additionally, producers in 10 contiguous Oklahoma counties may be eligible for programs based on this designation. The contiguous counties are: Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Ellis, Greer, Jackson, Major, Washita and Woods.

Producers in the contiguous counties of Clark and Comanche in Kansas, along with Childress, Collingsworth, Hardeman, Hemphill and Wheeler in Texas, may be eligible for emergency loans.

Physical loss loans can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses. Examples of property commonly affected include essential farm buildings, fixtures to real estate, equipment, livestock, perennial crops, fruit and nut bearing trees, and harvested or stored crops and hay.

Contact FSA for more information on loan eligibility and the application process. FSA office information is available at http://offices.usda.gov. Additional FSA disaster assistance program information is available at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.