Two Louisiana Parishes Affected By Arkansas Disaster Declaration

On July 26, 2023, the Arkansas State Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency (FSA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), requested a primary county disaster designation for seven counties in Arkansas due to losses caused by excessive rain, hail, high winds, lightning, and tornadoes that occurred during June 7 through July 14, 2023. USDA reviewed the Loss Assessment Reports and determined that there were sufficient production losses to warrant a Secretarial natural disaster designation. In accordance with Section 321(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, additional areas of Louisiana are named as contiguous disaster counties.

The parishes affected are Union and Morehouse.

A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in primary counties and those counties contiguous to such primary counties eligible to be considered for FSA emergency loans, provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have 8 months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans. FSA considers each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses on the farm and the security and repayment ability of the operator.