Several forms of agricultural relief are now available for Hoosier flood victims thanks to swift action by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Governor Mitch Daniels took his requests for Indiana's farmers directly to USDA Secretary Edward Schafer last week, who responded quickly.
Because of Presidential disaster declarations for 28 Indiana counties, those counties will also receive primary agricultural disaster designation. Here is what is available:
- Low-interest emergency loans from the USDA Farm Service Agency. Farmers in primary and contiguous counties are also eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the USDA Farm Service Agency.
- USDA has also extended the 2008 final crop reporting certification deadline to August 15, 2008. Because of extreme weather conditions, many farmers have not filed a 2008 acreage report or requested prevented planting or failed acreage credit. This deadline has now been extended and late fees will not be assessed if the information is submitted by August 15.
- Individual farmers can also enroll for assistance through USDA's Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) from June 23 through July 11. ECP provides emergency funding and technical assistance for farmers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters. ECP participants can receive cost-share assistance of 75 percent or more of the cost to implement approved emergency conservation practices such as removal of debris and restoration of fences and conservation structures. ECP is administered by state and county FSA.
- Counties can apply for USDA's Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program immediately. The goal of the EWP program is to undertake emergency measures to relieve imminent hazards to life and property created by a natural disaster. Activities under this program could include providing financial and technical assistance to remove debris from streams, protect destabilized stream banks, establish cover on critically eroding lands and repair conservation practices. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service administers the EWP program. More information on the EWP program, including how to apply, can be found at the following link: www.in.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/EWP/EWPhomepage.html.
"Farmers across the state are focused on cleaning up their properties and getting back into operation," said Governor Daniels. "But I want to remind farmers they may be eligible for individual assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for damage to their homes and other personal property. It's important that farmers apply for this assistance, too."
Primary disaster counties include Adams, Bartholomew, Brown, Clay, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, Sullivan, Vermillion, Vigo and Wayne counties. Contiguous counties include Allen, Boone, Clinton, Delaware, Dubois, Fayette, Fountain, Franklin, Gibson, Hendricks, Jay, Jefferson, Lawrence, Madison, Martin, Montgomery, Ohio, Pike, Ripley, Scott, Tipton, Union, Warren, Washington, and Wells counties.
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