Dry summer named disaster by USDA

Snohomish County farms are eligible for federal financial assistance since the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated six counties in the state as a primary natural disaster area due to losses caused by drought this year.

The 12 contiguous counties, including Snohomish County, are also eligible for assistance.

“President Obama and I understand these conditions caused severe damage to the area and serious harm to farms in Washington and we want to help,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This action will provide help to hundreds of farmers who suffered significant production losses to wheat, rangeland and pasture.”

The primary counties are Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan and contiguous counties are Adams, Franklin, Kittitas, Snohomish, Stevens, Whitman, Benton, King, Skagit, Spokane, Whatcom and Yakima.

The natural disaster designation makes all qualified farm operators in the area eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met.

Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover their losses.

FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.

Farmers should contact their local USDA Service Centers for information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs.

Information is also available online at disaster.fsa. usda.gov.

Nurseries, non-farm businesses eligible for ºSBA loans

Due to the disaster designation, small, non-farm businesses in all of the 18 impacted counties are eligible for low-interest disaster loans from the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

“These loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by a drought that occurred in the Washington counties beginning January 1, 2009,” announced Alfred E. Judd, Director of SBA’s Disaster Field Operations Center . West. Small businesses in the primary and neighboring counties may apply for working capital loans to offset economic losses that are attributable to the drought. “SBA eligibility covers both the economic impacts on businesses dependent on farmers and ranchers that have suffered agricultural production losses caused by the disaster and businesses directly impacted by the disaster,” Judd said. Small, non-farm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, nonprofit organizations of any size may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred.

Information and application forms are available from SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling 800-659.2955, e-mailing disastercustomerservice@ sba. gov or visiting www.sba.gov/ services/disasterassistance. The deadline to apply for these loans is July 26, 2010.