New York Counties Declared Ag Disasters

WASHINGTON - May 10/04 - SNS -- The USDA designated another eight counties in New York as primary agricultural disaster areas.

The eight New York counties designated as primary disaster areas due to damages and losses are as follows:

* Cattaraugus for flash flooding on Aug. 9, 2003;

* Dutchess for excessive rain and flooding from Sept. 1, 2003, and continuing;

* Livingston for excessive rain and flash flooding on August 9 and 10, 2003;

* Monroe for excessive lack of rain from August 16, 2003, through Aug. 28, 2003;

* Putnam for excessive rain, flash flooding, high winds, and possible tornado on Sept. 23, 2003;

* Ulster for excessive rain and flooding from Sept. 1, 2003, and continuing;

* Wayne for hail on Sept. 23, 2003; and

* Westchester for excessive rain, flash flooding, high winds, and possible tornado on Sept. 23, 2003.

These counties were designated on May 3, 2004, making all qualified farm operators eligible for low-interest emergency (EM) loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the 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.