USDA designates 2 counties in Oklahoma as primary natural disaster areas

Emergency support to producers in surrounding counties also available

Agricultural producers in Craig and Ottawa counties in Oklahoma who suffered losses and damages due to a recent drought may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency emergency loans. The loans are made available under the authority of Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

Producers in the contiguous counties of Delaware, Mayes, Nowata and Rogers in Oklahoma, along with Cherokee and Labette counties in Kansas, and McDonald and Newton counties in Missouri, 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 loansto 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 LoansEmergency Conservation ProgramLivestock Forage Disaster ProgramLivestock Indemnity ProgramEmergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish ProgramTree 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.