USDA designates 24 Ohio Counties as primary natural disaster areas

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WASHINGTON, D.C.— Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has designated and additional 24 Ohio counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers who suffered losses due to excessive rain and flooding that occurred from Jan. 1 through Aug. 20, 2019, may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans.

The Ohio counties with the primary natural disaster designation include Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Clinton, Columbiana, Coshocton, Darke, Fairfield, Franklin, Geauga, Hardin, Harrison, Jefferson, Lake, Licking, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Morgan, Muskingum, Perry, Pickaway, Shelby and Tuscarawas.

This natural disaster designation allows FSA to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts.

Producers in the contiguous Ohio counties Allen, Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Brown, Champaign, Clermont, Cuyahoga, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Greene, Guernsey, Hancock, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Knox, Logan, Madison, Marion, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Noble, Portage, Preble, Richland, Ross, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Union, Warren, Washington, Wayne, and Wyandot, along with Jay, Randolph, and Wayne counties in Indiana; Beaver, Crawford, Erie, Lawrence, and Mercer counties in Pennsylvania; and Brooke, Hancock, and Ohio counties in West Virginia, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

The deadline to apply for these emergency loans is June 4, 2020.

The Secretary previously announced the following Ohio counties as designated primary natural disaster areas for other disaster related events: Allen, Athens, Auglaize, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Crawford, Defiance, Delaware, Erie, Fairfield, Fayette, Fulton, Gallia, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Jackson, Knox, Lawrence, Licking, Logan, Lucas, Marion, Meigs, Mercer, Montgomery, Morrow, Ottawa, Paulding, Pike, Preble, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, Union, Van Wert, Vinton, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Williams, Wood and Wyandot.

FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.

FSA has a variety of additional programs to help farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster. FSA programs that do not require a disaster declaration include: Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; and the Tree Assistance Program. Farmers may contact their local USDA service center for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Producers in Shelby County may call 937-492-6520. Additional information is also available online at farmers.gov/recover.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

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