USDA Designates 33 Mississippi Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Contact: FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov

Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border States Also Available

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2020 — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated 33 Mississippi counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in who suffered losses caused by recent natural disasters may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans.

These natural disaster designations allow 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.

Excessive Rain and Flooding

Producers in the following counties who suffered losses caused by excessive rain and flooding that occurred April 1 through June 30, 2020, may be eligible for emergency loans:

Producers in the contiguous counties and parishes listed below are also eligible to apply for emergency loans:

• Mississippi: Amite, Chickasaw, Copiah, DeSoto, Grenada, Hinds, Lafayette, Leake, Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Neshoba, Noxubee, Panola, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tate, Tippah, Union, Winston and Yalobusha
• Alabama: Colbert, Franklin, Lamar, Lauderdale and Marion
• Arkansas: Chicot, Crittenden, Desha, Lee and Phillips
• Louisiana: Concordia, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Madison, Tensas and West Feliciana
• Tennessee: Hardeman, Hardin and McNairy

High Winds and Excessive Rainfall

Producers in Jackson County who suffered losses caused by high winds and excessive rainfall from Hurricane Sally that occurred Sept. 15 through Sept. 17, 2020, may be eligible for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous counties listed below are also eligible to apply for emergency loans:

• Mississippi: George, Harrison and Stone
• Alabama: Mobile

The deadline to apply for emergency loans under this designation is July 6, 2021.

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. Additional information is also available online at farmers.gov/recover.