August 11, 2006

USDA designates areas of South Dakota as disaster zones

The USDA said on its Farm Service Agency website last week that it had designated counties in South Dakota as primary natural disaster areas, thus allowing producers there to be eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the USDA's FSA.

South Dakota is one of the major cattle-producing states.

7 counties were designated as primary natural disaster areas because of continued losses caused by high winds, heavy rain and hail that began on Jun 16.

23 other counties were also designated primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by frost, extreme heat, high winds, hail, insect damage, insufficient subsoil moisture and ongoing drought.

Contiguous counties from other states were also included.

Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for the loans to help over part of their actual losses, the release said.