By Andi Anderson
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared ten Ohio counties as primary natural disaster areas due to severe drought conditions. This designation allows the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to offer emergency credit to farmers in both primary and surrounding contiguous counties.
Farmers affected by the drought can apply for FSA emergency loans to help cover essential recovery needs, including the replacement of equipment or livestock, farm reorganization, or debt refinancing.
The declaration is based on data from the U.S. Drought Monitor, which indicated that these counties experienced either D2 Severe Drought conditions for eight or more consecutive weeks or D3 Extreme or D4 Exceptional Drought conditions.
Farmers in the declared areas are eligible to apply for loans until May 23, 2025, with loan eligibility being determined based on the extent of losses, available security, and repayment capability.
The primary counties eligible for this assistance include Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Delaware, Greene, Logan, Miami, Montgomery, Union, and Warren.
Additionally, farmers in surrounding contiguous counties, such as Auglaize, Brown, Butler, and others, are also eligible to apply.
The emergency loans will offer vital assistance to Ohio farmers in these regions as they work to recover from the impacts of drought and stabilize their farming operations.
Photo Credit: usda
Categories: Ohio, Government & Policy, Weather