Decision Allows Farmers and Ranchers to Apply for USDA Assistance

Washington, DC (September 6, 2006) – Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated various counties in the 15th district as contiguous disaster areas due to drought conditions earlier this year. 

These counties are:  De Witt, Goliad, Lavaca, and Refugio.

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.

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.

“Farming and ranching are the engines that drive our economy,” said Hinojosa.  “For the past few months, these industries have had to contend with serious drought conditions that impact their ability to make a living and move our economy forward.  We must do all we can to support farms and ranches through difficult times to ensure that their quality of life and economic viability is maintained.”

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