| (WASHINGTON,
D.C.) U.S. Senator Jim Talent (R-Mo.), a member of the Senate Agriculture
Committee, today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) has declared most of Missouri a disaster area due to the
severe drought. Sen. Talent and USDA Undersecretary Bill Hawks will
make a formal announcement tomorrow morning following a roundtable
discussion with producer leaders in St. Louis. The disaster designation,
requested by Missouri Governor Matt Blunt, will make all qualified
farm operators eligible for low-interest emergency (EM) loans from
USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA).
“We are doing everything we can to help Missouri farmers and ranchers
cope with one of the driest growing seasons in recent memory,?said
Sen. Talent, who worked with USDA officials to expedite the approval
of the Governor's request. “With this declaration, Missouri producers
who need help will become eligible for assistance.?
The disaster declaration request covers 112 of Missouri's 114
counties. All Missouri counties were designated as primary disaster
areas, except Atchison and Holt Counties and the city of St. Louis.
Also eligible because they are contiguous are Atchison County,
Holt County and the city of St. Louis.
Despite recent rainfall, the drought threatens to do considerable
damage to our state’s economy. A significant percentage of the
corn and soybeans in Missouri are rated as poor to very poor and
farmers will see lower yields which will hurt their bottom line.
Additionally, 75 percent of the pastures in the state are in poor
or very poor condition. Livestock producers have been devastated,
and some are being forced to sell their animals.
On August 10, Sen. Talent announced that USDA is sending $1,078,500
in Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) funds to Missouri to help
farmers and ranchers cope with the drought. This federal assistance
will help farmers by providing financial assistance that can be
used for things like water for livestock.
The disaster declaration will make agricultural producers eligible
for significant assistance including low-interest loans, federal
grants, tax relief and other programs to help farmers.
Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers
for further information on eligibility requirements and application
procedures for these and other programs. Additional information
is also available online at: http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
|
