The USDA has approved a request by Gov. Jay Nixon for a drought disaster designation for 101 Missouri counties. The designation permits assistance from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency to farmers in those counties who have suffered losses to crops and property as a result of excessive heat and severe drought.
“Missouri has been hit hard this year by severe weather, including a devastating drought that hurt crop yields, damaged pastures, and dried up ponds and creeks across the state,” Gov. Nixon said. “I’m glad that this declaration from the USDA will allow our farm families, who lost income because of these conditions, to access much needed assistance.”
The counties requested by the Governor and designated today by the USDA are Adair, Audrain, Barry, Barton, Bates, Benton, Bollinger, Boone, Butler, Caldwell, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Cass, Cedar, Chariton, Christian, Clark, Clay, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Daviess, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Gentry, Greene, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Howard, Howell, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Laclede, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, McDonald, Macon, Madison, Maries, Marion, Mercer, Miller, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Pemiscot, Perry, Pettis, Phelps, Pike, Platte, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Ray, Reynolds, Ripley, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, St. Louis, Saline, Schuyler, Scotland, Shannon, Shelby, Stoddard, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Worth and Wright.
Primary disaster counties are those that lost at least 30 percent of the estimated yield of a single crop, or where individual farmers suffer production losses of more than 30 percent.
In addition, farmers in the contiguous counties of Andrew, Buchanan, Carroll, Clinton, DeKalb, Iron, New Madrid, Nodaway, Scott and Ste. Genevieve, as well as in the City of St. Louis, are eligible to apply for assistance.
A disaster designation allows eligible farmers to be considered for assistance from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Farmers who qualify would receive FSA emergency loans or assistance from the federal Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program. Affected farmers can apply to FSA, which considers each application individually on its merits.