NEWS
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of Communications News Room 460-A
Washington, DC 20250-1300
Internet: News@usda.gov Phone: 202-720-9035
World Wide Web Home Page: http://www.usda.gov
Release No. 0173.02
Dann Stuart (202) 690-0474
USDA OFFERS EMERGENCY FARM LOANS TO FARMERS IN 52
MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES
WASHINGTON, April 29, 2002 -- Agriculture Secretary
Ann M. Veneman today named 52 counties in Mississippi as
eligible for USDA emergency farm loans due to losses caused
by heavy rainfall, flooding and excess moisture. that
occurred last year.
"These loans will help farmers in Mississippi recover
from losses due to these adverse conditions," said Veneman.
Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw, Claiborne,
Hinds, Holmes, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Lee, Leflore,
Marshall, Monroe, Noxubee, Panola, Pontotoc, Sunflower,
Tallahatchie, Union, Warren and Washington Counties were
named as primary disaster areas on April 19, 2002. Also
eligible, because they are contiguous, are Attala, Benton,
Clay, Coahoma, Copiah, Covington, De Soto, Grenada,
Humphreys, Kemper, Lafayette, Lamar, Lawrence, Lowndes,
Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Oktibbeha, Prentiss, Quitman,
Rankin, Sharkey, Simpson, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Tunica,
Webster, Winston, Yalobusha and Yazoo Counties.
This designation makes all qualified farm operators in
primary and contiguous disaster counties eligible for
low-interest EM loans from the Farm Service Agency, provided
eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible
counties have eight months from the date of this declaration
to apply for the 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 available, in addition
to the emergency loan program, to help eligible farmers
recover from adversity. Interested farmers may contact
their local FSA offices for further information on
eligibility requirements and application procedures.
Additional information is also available online at:
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/disaster/assistance1.htm.
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