|
USDA PROVIDES EMERGENCY LOANS TO FARMERS IN SEVEN MASSACHUSETTS COUNTIES WASHINGTON, April 25, 2002 -- Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced that farmers in seven counties in Massachusetts are now eligible for USDA emergency farm loans due to losses caused by erratic weather patterns, such as abnormal temperatures and rainfall distribution, that occurred last year. “These loans will help farmers in Massachusetts recover from losses to their crops due to severe weather conditions,” said Veneman. Barnstable, Bristol and Plymouth Counties were named as primary disaster areas on April 4, 2002. Dukes, Nantucket, Norfolk and Suffolk Counties also are eligible because they are contiguous. This designation makes all qualified farm operators in primary and contiguous disaster counties eligible for low-interest EM loans from the Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of this declaration to apply for the loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs available, in addition to the emergency loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity. Interested farmers may contact their local FSA offices for more information on eligibility requirements and application procedures. Additional information is also available online at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/disaster/assistance1.htm.
|