USDA Designates 14 Texas Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Contact: FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov

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

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2019 — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated 14 Texas counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers who suffered losses due to recent weather events 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. 

Drought

Producers in DeWitt, Eastland, Jackson, Karnes, Lavaca, McMullen, Palo Pinto, Stephens, and Young, who suffered losses due to recent drought, are eligible to apply for emergency loans. 

Producers in the contiguous Texas counties of Archer, Atascosa, Baylor, Bee, Brown, Calhoun, Callahan, Colorado, Comanche, Duval, Erath, Fayette, Goliad, Gonzales, Hood, Jack, La Salle, Live Oak, Matagorda, Parker, Shackelford, Throckmorton, Victoria, Webb, Wharton, and Wilson are also eligible to apply for emergency loans. 

Excessive Moisture and Flooding

Producers in Baylor, Cooke, Delta, Denton, and Lamar counties who suffered losses due to excessive moisture and flooding that occurred from Sept. 1, 2018, through Sept. 11, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans. 

Producers in the contiguous Texas counties of Archer, Collin, Dallas, Fannin, Foard, Franklin, Grayson, Haskell, Hopkins, Hunt, Knox, Montague, Red River, Tarrant, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Wise, and Young, along with Bryan, Choctaw, and Love counties in Oklahoma, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans. 

The deadline to apply for these emergency loans is July 6, 2020. 

The Secretary previously announced several Texas counties as primary natural disaster areas. A listing of all disaster designations can be found at fsa.usda.gov. 

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.