WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Butler, Darke, Defiance, Hamilton, Mercer, Paulding, Preble and Van Wert counties as natural disaster areas due to excessive rain and flooding in the region in 2015.
With this disaster designation, agricultural producers in these counties are eligible to be considered for assistance from the Farm Service Agency, including emergency loans.
Eligible farmers have eight months from the date of the official disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans and can receive guidance in applying for these loans from their local FSA office.
The USDA also designated 87 counties in Illinois as primary natural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain and flooding that continues since June 1, and 53 Indiana counties, with weather-related losses that started May 1.
