Gov. Nixon requests disaster declaration from USDA to help farmers in seven northwest, west central counties impacted by hail, strong winds and storms in August

Gov. Jay Nixon today asked Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to designate seven Missouri counties in the northwest and west central parts of the state as primary disaster areas.  The designation will permit the USDA’s Farm Service Agency to assist farmers who suffered losses to crops and property after severe stoms Aug. 18 and Aug. 22.

The counties requested by the Governor are Andrew, Atchison, Gentry, Lafayette, Nodaway, Pettis and Platte. The request is based on damage assessments completed by the Farm Service Agency, at the request of the Governor.

Nixon says corn, soybean and alfalfa crops were affected by the storms.

Primary disaster counties are those that lose at least 30 percent of the estimated yield of a single crop, or where individual farmers suffer production losses of more than 30 percent.

A disaster designation would allow 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 would apply to FSA, which considers each application individually on its merits. Farmers in counties contiguous to primary disaster areas also could be eligible for assistance.