By Stephen Smoot
The United States Department of Agriculture has announced aid for 25 West Virginia counties. Thirteen of these were declared primary natural disaster areas while the remainder were categorized as “contiguous.” This included six Southern West Virginia counties, as well as Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, Pendleton, Randolph and Tucker.
The Potomac Highlands saw weeks of severe drought, as is defined by the USDA. The South Branch Valley watershed counties all remain currently in D1 – Moderate Drought despite the plentiful rains as of late. Last week, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture announced that qualifying farmers in both the primary and contiguous counties can apply for emergency loan assistance.
The WVDA urged those who may qualify to contact the local Farm Service Agency office.
According to the USDA, help can be obtained through emergency farm loans. As its website states, “These loans can be used to restore or replace essential property, cover production costs, pay essential family living expenses, and refinance certain debts. The aim is to help producers recover swiftly and maintain the viability of their operations during and after disaster recovery.”
“Farmers and ranchers who operate in a disaster-designated county and have experienced substantial damage or loss” may apply for these loans. The USDA states also that “applicants must demonstrate an inability to obtain sufficient credit from other sources to cover their disaster-related needs.”
Potential applicants have eight months from the declaration of disaster to submit an application.
Loans can be used to repair or replace important property, cover production costs for the upcoming season, refinance disaster-related debts outside of real estate, and to organize greater efficiencies in farm operations.
Applicants can file for loans to cover up to 100 percent of losses up to a cap of $500,000. Repayment terms can extend, depending on the case, from one to 40 years. Response from the FSA is generally quick.
While the region is expected to continue to receive rain in the immediate future, the federal website drought.gov expects some drought conditions to persist through the season in the South Branch watershed.
