Some Iowa farmers are eligible to apply for emergency loans. | Pixabay
Some Iowa farmers are eligible to apply for emergency loans. | Pixabay
Ten Iowa counties have been designated as primary natural disaster areas by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, according to Harlan Online.
The counties are Buena Vista, Hamilton, Harrison, Ida, Madison, Monona, Pocahontas, Polk, Pottawattamie and Story, the news media reported. Farmers in the counties might be eligible for emergency loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) because of a recent drought.
Farmers have until May 10, 2021, to apply for the loans, which will be reviewed by the FSA on the extent of the farmers' losses. FSA also has other programs to help farmers that don't require a disaster declaration. Those programs include emergency assistance for livestock, fish and honeybees, programs for emergency conservation, operating and ownership, tree assistance and livestock forage disaster.
The emergency loans can be used for replacement of equipment or livestock, among other things, the news media reports.
Farmers can contact local USDA services for more information and to see if they are eligible.
Alerts Sign-up