USDA Designates 24 Virginia Localities as Drought Disaster Areas

USDA Designates 24 Virginia Localities as Drought Disaster Areas
Farmers in designated disaster areas have eight months to apply for emergency assistance

Richmond, Va. - Due to recent drought conditions, 24 Virginia localities have received drought disaster designations by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins. Farmers in the primary designated counties of Brunswick, Greensville, and Southampton are now eligible to be considered for certain assistance from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). Farmers in the counties of Arlington, Dinwiddie, Fairfax, Franklin, Grayson, Halifax, Isle of Wight, King George, Loudoun, Lunenberg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Prince William, Stafford, Surry, Sussex, Washington, Westmoreland and the cities of Alexandria, Emporia and Suffolk are also eligible for FSA drought emergency assistance as they are contiguous to primary drought designated localities in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

This drought disaster assistance includes FSA emergency loans. Provided eligibility requirements are met, FSA will assess each emergency loan application individually to consider specific circumstances and needs. Farmers in eligible localities have eight months from the date of disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor (http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu), these localities suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season of 1) D2 Drought-Severe for eight or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional.

For more information on available assistance programs and the application process, please visit the Virginia FSA State Office website at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/Virginia.