Farmers and ranchers in Haywood, Madison and Swain counties qualify for federal natural disaster assistance because the counties are contiguous to areas of Tennessee that the USDA has designated as primary natural disaster areas.
The agency issued three separate designations for Tennessee because of losses caused by multiple disasters that occurred this year, the USDA announced.
USDA has designated Cocke, Jefferson and Sevier counties in Tennessee as a primary natural disaster area due to damages and losses caused by the combined effects of frost and drought that occurred from Jan. 1 through Aug. 12.
All qualified farm operators in the designated areas are eligible for low interest emergency loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration (Sept. 24) to apply for 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.
-Information from USDA