USDA Designates Five North Carolina Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Contact:
FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov

Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties Also Available

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2021 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated five North Carolina counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Dare, Onslow, Tyrrell, Washington and Wilkes counties who suffered losses caused by excessive rains that occurred from April 1, 2020, through November 14, 2020, may be eligible for USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans.

These natural disaster designations allow FSA to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts.

Producers in the contiguous North Carolina counties of Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Beaufort, Bertie, Caldwell, Carteret, Chowan, Currituck, Duplin, Hyde, Iredell, Jones, Martin, Pender, Surry, Watauga and Yadkin are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

The deadline to apply for emergency loans under this designation is Oct.12, 2021.

FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.

FSA has a variety of additional programs to help farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster. FSA programs that do not require a disaster declaration include: Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; and the Tree Assistance Program.

 Farmers may contact their local USDA service center for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at farmers.gov/recover.

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