USDA declares twenty disaster zones in California
On Monday the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated twenty counties across California as natural disaster areas, qualifying residents for federal assistance; severe weather in these areas resulted in large losses to this season’s sweet cherry and wine grape crops
On Monday the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated twenty counties across California as natural disaster areas, qualifying residents for federal assistance.
The severe rain storms and high winds during 3 June to 6 June, which devastated the sweet cherry crop in Stanislaus and Yuba counties, led the USDA to declare these as primary natural disaster areas. In addition farmers and ranchers in neighboring Alameda, Butte, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Sierra, Sutter, and Tuolumne counties also qualify for assistance.
Meanwhile San Luis Obispo county was declared a natural disaster area as a result of the freezing temperatures on 8 April, which caused large losses to wine grapes.
“I want producers to know that disaster assistance is available to them to help provide a boost to the agriculture industry at a time when help is needed most,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Farmers in designated disaster areas are now eligible for federal assistance in the form of low interest emergency loans from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, granted they meet the program’s basic requirements. Farmers now have eight months to apply for loans to help cover part of their losses.
Other programs available to help California farmers hurt by the severe weather include the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program, the Emergency Conservation Program, Federal Crop Insurance, and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.
