USDA Designates Ag Disaster Counties

WASHINGTON - Feb 8/06 - SNS -- The USDA designated seven counties in 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).

Denton, Kaufman, Robertson, Rockwall, Shelby and Wise Counties were designated as primary disaster areas due to losses caused by drought that occurred from Mar. 1, 2005, and continuing.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are the following counties:

Brazos       Falls        Limestone    Parker
Burleson     Grayson      Madison      Rusk
Collin       Henderson    Milam        Sabine
Cooke        Hunt         Montague     San Augustine
Dallas       Jack         Nacogdoches  Tarrant
Ellis        Leon         Panola       Van Zandt

Gillespie County was designated as a primary disaster area due to losses caused by drought that occurred from May 1, 2005, and continuing.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Blanco, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano and Mason Counties.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas on Jan. 17, 2006.