Decision Allows Farmers and Ranchers to Apply for USDA Assistance

Washington, DC (October 30, 2006) – Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated counties in the 15th Congressional District as primary and contiguous disaster areas.  This decision allows farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural producers to apply for low-interest emergency loans from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met.

Hidalgo County was named a primary disaster area due to losses caused by drought and high winds.  The following counties were declared contiguous disaster areas due to losses caused by drought:  Bastrop, Brooks, Cameron, De Witt, Fayette, Jim Wells, Lavaca, and San Patricio.

FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.  FSA has a variety of programs available, in addition to the emergency loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.  These include:  the Emergency Conservation Program, Federal Crop Insurance, and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.

“I had the opportunity to meet with farmers and ranchers recently and the current drought has significantly affected their economic livelihood,” said Hinojosa.  “It is my hope that they will seek assistance from the USDA and recover from the havoc that nature can inflict.” 

Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Center for more information, or visit:  http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov