U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack has issued a natural disaster declaration for 11 Georgia counties following a sustained period of drought, adding to the four Northwest Georgia counties already declared primary natural disaster areas last week.
Impacted counties include Bartow, Cherokee, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Lumpkin, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield, which have sustained eight or more weeks of severe, extreme or exceptional drought conditions. This declaration allows USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend essential emergency credit to Georgia farmers affected by these weather events.
“The addition of these 11 North Georgia counties to last week’s Natural Disaster Declaration is a welcomed source of relief for farmers facing severe drought conditions, and I want to thank Secretary Vilsack for again recognizing the importance of delivering this essential relief,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. “I know firsthand the impact drought conditions can have on our agriculture industry, especially those with dryland operations, and our team will do everything possible to help those hardest hit to recover.”
USDA FSA loans can be used to meet various recovery requirements, including replacing essential items such as farm equipment or livestock, reorganizing a farming operation or refinancing specific loans. FSA reviews all loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability, and Georgia farmers and producers in the counties below are eligible to apply.
The application deadline is July 6, 2024.
Primary counties eligible
Bartow, Cherokee, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Lumpkin, Murray, Pickens, Whitfield.
Contiguous counties also eligible
Catoosa, Chattooga, Cobb, Forsyth, Fulton, Hall, Paulding, Polk, Union, Walker, White.
More USDA resources
On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet and Loan Assistance Tool can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local USDA service center.