USDA Designates Seven Minnesota Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border States Also Available

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2020 — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated seven Minnesota counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers who suffered losses due to recent weather events may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (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.

High Winds and Tornado

Producers in Nobles County, who suffered losses due to high winds and a tornado that occurred Aug. 17-18, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous Minnesota counties of Cottonwood, Jackson, Murray, and Rock, along with Lyon and Osceola counties in Iowa, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Excessive Rain and Flooding

Producers in Beltrami, Clearwater, Kittson, Polk, and Yellow Medicine counties, who suffered losses due to excessive rain and flooding that occurred from April 11, 2019, through Nov. 30, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous Minnesota counties of Becker, Cass, Chippewa, Hubbard, Itasca, Koochiching, Lac Qui Parle, Lake of the Woods, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, and Roseau, along with Grand Forks, Pembina, and Traill counties in North Dakota, and Deuel County, South Dakota, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Excessive Rain, Flooding and Excessive Snow

Producers in Marshall County who suffered losses due to excessive rain, flooding and excessive snow that has occurred since Sept. 21, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous Minnesota counties of Beltrami, Kittson, Pennington, Polk, and Roseau, along with Grand Forks, Pembina, and Walsh counties in North Dakota, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

The deadline to apply for emergency loans is Sept. 30, 2020.

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.