By Scout Nelson
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recently designated three Kansas counties—Finney, Ford, and Kearny—as primary natural disaster areas. This crucial status comes in response to the severe drought conditions recorded during the growing season, significantly impacting agricultural operations.
Due to this designation, affected farmers in these counties are now eligible to apply for emergency loans through the Farm Service Agency (FSA). These loans are designed to help producers recover from the damage by allowing them to replace necessary equipment or livestock, reorganize their farming operations, or refinance certain debts.
The drought intensity levels in these counties reached D2 for eight consecutive weeks, escalating to levels D3 or D4, marking a severe impact on agricultural productivity. This disaster status also extends to contiguous counties, including Clark, Edwards, Grant, Gray, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kiowa, Lane, Meade, Ness, Scott, Stanton, and Wichita, broadening the scope of potential aid.
Farmers need to submit loan applications by February 10, 2025, with the FSA evaluating them based on drought-related losses, security availability, and repayment ability. The goal is to alleviate financial strain and stabilize farming operations, ensuring agricultural production can continue despite challenging conditions.
Photo Credit -usda-farm-service-agency
Categories: Kansas, Government & Policy