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. 0187.02
Alisa Harrison (202) 720-4623
Alisa.Harrison@usda.gov
Dann Stuart (202) 690-0474
dan_stuart@wdc.usda.gov
USDA ANNOUNCES EMERGENCY FARM LOANS FOR 66 TEXAS COUNTIES
WASHINGTON, May 9, 2002 -- Agriculture Secretary Ann
M. Veneman today named 66 counties in Texas as eligible for
USDA emergency (EM) farm loans due to losses caused by
drought, high winds and high temperatures that occurred last
year.
"Adverse weather conditions in recent years have
impacted farms in Texas," said Veneman. "This assistance
will help farmers of forage grasses, cotton and other crops
recover from these natural disaster losses."
Loving, Pecos and Reeves counties were named as
primary disaster areas on May 2, 2002, because of drought
and high winds. Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, Jeff
Davis, Terrell, Ward and Winkler counties also are eligible
because they are contiguous.
Brooks, Callahan, Eastland, Jim Wells, Presidio,
Stephens and Webb counties were named as primary disaster
areas on May 2, 2002, because of drought, high winds and
high temperatures. Also eligible, because they are
contiguous, are Brewster, Brown, Coleman, Comanche, Dimmit,
Erath, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Jones, La Salle, Live
Oak, Maverick, McMullen, Palo Pinto, San Patricio,
Shackelford, Taylor, Throckmorton and Young counties.
Garza, Lubbock, Menard, Nolan and Terry counties were
named as primary disaster areas on May 2, 2002, because of
drought. Farmers in Cochran, Floyd, Hale, Hockley, Jones,
Kimble, Lamb, Mason and Sutton counties also are eligible
because they are contiguous.
Schleicher, Sutton and Zavala counties were named as
primary disaster areas on May 2, 2002, because of drought
and high temperatures (excessive heat). Also eligible,
because they are contiguous, are Concho, Crockett, Edwards,
Frio, Irion, Kimble, La Salle, Medina, Menard, Tom Green and
Val Verde counties. Concho, Frio, Irion, La Salle, Menard
and Tom Green counties suffered high temperatures only.
This designation makes all qualified farm operators in
primary and contiguous disaster counties eligible for low-
interest EM loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA),
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 available on-line at:
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/disaster/assistance1.htm.
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