Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

256 counties in the United States designated as Natural Disaster Areas

Producers in these areas may qualify for disaster relief

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

Farming in itself is a big risk when you think about it.

Vast amounts of time and money go into making sure fields are properly prepared for planting and making sure machinery is running as it’s supposed to be.

After all that is done, most of the success of the crops rely on Mother Nature doing her part – and she isn’t always cooperative when she springs things like cold weather or drought on farms.

256 counties stretched across nine states including Idaho, California, Kansas and Nevada were designated as natural disaster areas due to drought by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA wants to let producers know that qualified farmers and ranchers can apply for loans and other financial assistance made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. The funds are available through the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA).

The FSA also offers a wide variety of assistance for different kinds of natural disasters including floods, tornadoes, pests and fire.

Some of the programs available include:

Livestock Forage Disaster Program
This program provides financial compensation to producers who, due to fire or drought on publicly managed land, have had grazing losses.

Emergency Conservation Program
Farmers and ranchers who have suffered losses as a result of natural disasters can apply for this program to help them repair damage and implement water conservation practices.

Tree Assistance Program
Qualified orchardists and nursery tree growers can apply for this program to replant or rehabilitate trees that have been damaged by natural disasters.

A full list of financial assistance services can be found on the Farm Service Agency website.


Trending Video

Funds Ditch Ag Commodities, Chase Stocks Amid an End to Middle East War, & Trade Deal Buzz

Video: Funds Ditch Ag Commodities, Chase Stocks Amid an End to Middle East War, & Trade Deal Buzz


The 12-day war between Iran-Israel came to an end sending crude oil futures plunging as the big fund speculators removed the war risk premium.

The weather risk premium in the Ag complex is sending corn, wheat and soybean futures lower on month-end selling ahead of the market moving USDA quarterly grain stocks and acreage reports on June 30th.

Instead, funds were chasing and sending tech stocks higher with the S&P 500/NASDAQ indexes setting new all-time record highs!

June 1 USDA Hogs and pigs report was slightly bearish while the U.S. $ Index traded to new contract lows as the de-dollarization that began in 2014 continues.

Feed in the form of soybean meal futures for livestock producers got cheaper, trading to new contract lows.

The Stats Canada seeded acreage update was bullish canola and wheat.