USDA Designates Ag Disaster Counties

WASHINGTON _Dec 7/05 - SNS -- The USDA designated counties in Michigan, Tennessee and Texas as primary natural disaster areas, making all qualified farm operators eligible for low-interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA).

In Michigan, 24 counties have been designated primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by above average temperatures, followed by frost, freeze, excessive snow, and hail that occurred from April 1, 2205, through May 5, 2005. Those counties are:

Alger        Cass         Ingham       Kent         Menominee    Schoolcraft
Allegan      Delta        Iron         Livingston   Muskegon     Shiawassee
Antrim       Dickinson    Jackson      Marquette    Newaygo      St. Joseph
Berrien      Hillsdale    Kalamazoo    Mecosta      Ottawa       Van Buren

Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following counties:

Baraga       Clare        Gogebic                   Isabella     Mackinac
Barry        Clinton      Grand Traverse Kalkaska   Mason        Osceola
Branch       Crawford     Gratiot Lake Montcalm     Otsego
Calhoun      Eaton        Houghton     Lenawee      Oakland      Saginaw
Charlevoix   Genesee      Ionia        Luce         Oceana       Washtenaw

The counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas on Nov. 21, 2005.

In Tennessee, 19 counties have been designated primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by extreme drought and higher than normal temperatures that occurred from May 1, 2005, and continuing. Those counties are:

Clay         Hancock      Overton      Sumner       White        Mackinac
Fentress     Hawkins      Pickett      Unicoi       Williamson   Osceola
Giles        Jackson      Scott        Van Buren    Wilson
Greene       Morgan       Smith        Washington                Saginaw

Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following counties:

Anderson     Cocke        Hickman      Roane
Bledsoe      Cumberland   Lawrence     Robertson
Campbell     Davidson     Lincoln      Rutherford
Cannon       DeKalb       Macon        Sequatchie
Carter       Dickson      Marshall     Sullivan
Cheatham     Grainger     Maury        Trousdale
Claiborne    Hamblen      Putnam       Warren

The counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas on Nov. 23, 2005.

In Texas, Bailey, Coryell, Garza, Hockley, Lee, Nacogdoches and Willacy Counties have been designated primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by various disasters that occurred during 2005.

Bailey County was designated due to losses caused by excessive rain, flash flooding, hail, high winds and lightning that occurred on Aug. 27, 2005.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Cochran, Hockley, Lamb and Parmer Counties.

Coryell County was designated due to losses caused by excessive rain, flooding, and high winds that occurred from Aug. 8, 2005, through Aug. 10, 2005.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Bell, Bosque, Hamilton, Lampasas and McLennan Counties.

Garza County was designated due to losses caused by excessive rain, hail and high winds that occurred on Aug. 27, 2005.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Borden, Crosby, Dickens, Kent, Lubbock, Lynn and Scurry Counties.

Hockley County was designated due to losses caused by hail that occurred from Aug. 27, 2005, through Aug. 28, 2005.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Bailey, Cochran, Hale, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Terry and Yoakum Counties.

Lee County was designated due to losses caused by drought that occurred from Apr. 1, 2005, and continuing.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Bastrop, Burleson, Fayette, Milam, Washington and Williamson Counties.

Nacogdoches County was designated due to losses caused by drought and excessive heat that occurred from March 1, 2005, and continuing.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Angelina, Cherokee, Rusk, San Augustine and Shelby Counties.

Willacy County was designated due to losses caused by drought and high winds that occurred from Jan. 1, 2005, and continuing.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Cameron, Hidalgo and Kenedy Counties.

The counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas on Nov. 23, 2005.