Release No. 0287.00

Andy Solomon(202) 720-4623
andy.solomon@usda.gov

GLICKMAN VIEWS DROUGHT DAMAGE, DECLARES FOUR ADDITIONAL TEXAS COUNTIES AS AGRICULTURAL DISASTER AREAS

        BOYD, TEXAS, August 29, 2000 -- After touring a drought stricken farm here, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today designated four additional counties in Texas as agricultural disaster areas, making farmers in these and adjacent counties eligible for emergency low interest loans. In recent months, Glickman declared 153 Texas counties agricultural disaster areas. The Dallas area has now gone a record 61 continuous days without precipitation and the drought situation is getting worse.

        "With nearly the entire state of Texas affected by severe heat and drought, I am quickly approving requests for disaster assistance," Glickman said. "Texas livestock producers are especially hard hit as 90 percent of the state's ranges and pastures are in fair to very poor condition."

        Glickman's disaster designation today named the counties of Howard, Reeves, Val Verde, and Wise counties as primary disaster areas. Also eligible, because they are contiguous, are the following 20 counties: Borden, Cooke, Crockett, Dawson, Denton, Edwards, Glasscock, Jack, Jeff Davis, Kinney, Martin, Mitchell, Montague, Parker, Pecos, Scurry, Sterling, Sutton, Tarrant, and Terrell.

         Hot temperatures and high winds continue to deplete the soil moisture and take their toll on Texas crops such as wheat, hay, sorghum, cotton, oats, peanuts, soybeans, corn, and alfalfa. USDA data indicate that Texas cotton yields are only 66 percent of normal. Sorghum is at 61 percent; corn at 82 percent, and peanuts are at 68 percent.

        This designation makes all qualified family-sized farm operators in both primary and contiguous counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans from USDA's Farm Service Agency. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of this declaration to apply for the loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available, repayment ability, and other eligibility requirements.

        Farmers may contact their local FSA offices for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures. Additional information also is available online at www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/disaster/assistance1.htm

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