Severe drought in Georgia, 150 counties declared disaster areas
A severe drought and excessive heat has forced the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare 150 counties in Georgia as primary natural disaster areas; the drought began on 15 April and has caused farmers to lose more than 30 percent of their pasture, grain crops, cotton, peanuts, tobacco, and forage crops
A severe drought and excessive heat has forced the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare 150 counties in Georgia as primary natural disaster areas.
Farmers have been devastated by the poor weather conditions with thousands of acres of crops damaged.
“Many producers have lost their crops and ultimately their livelihood due to the devastation caused by the drought,” said Tom Vilsack, the Secretary of Agriculture.
The drought began on 15 April and has caused farmers to lose more than 30 percent of their pasture, grain crops, cotton, peanuts, tobacco, and forage crops in more than 150 counties across the state.
Farmers in the disaster areas are now eligible for low interest emergency loans from the Agriculture Department’s Farm Service Agency to help cover their losses. Farmers must file damage claims within eight months of the disaster declaration.
In addition, farmers and ranchers in nine countries, not declared disaster areas, will also be eligible for disaster assistance. The counties include Clayton, Jones, Newton, and Baldwin.
The Department of Agriculture has also made several other programs available to aid hard-hit farmers and ranchers including its Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE), the Emergency Conservation Program, Federal Crop Insurance, and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.
