Iowa farmers may be eligible for low-interest government loans to cover “severe” physical losses from summer storms.
These USDA emergency loans are not for damage or struction of corn and soybeans in the field, but can cover “physical losses” to farm buildings, equipment and the death of livestock, The loans may cover damage to “perennial” crops like fruit trees as well as any crop that had been harvested and stored.
The losses must be connected to four storm systems that hit Iowa between June 22nd and August 18th. Those storms spawned flooding, hail and tornadoes.
Details provided by the USDA are below:
For the June 22 disaster event, an Administrator’s Physical Loss Notification has been issued for Butler and Franklin counties as the primary damaged area.
Additionally, 10 Iowa counties are contiguous to this designated disaster area, making these producers also potentially eligible for programs based on this designation. The contiguous counties are: Black Hawk, Bremer, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Floyd, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin and Wright.
For the June 28 disaster event, an Administrator’s Physical Loss Notification has been issued for Fremont, Jones, Linn, Marion, Page and Taylor counties as the primary damaged area.
Additionally, 20 Iowa counties are contiguous to this designated disaster area, making these producers also potentially eligible for programs based on this designation. The contiguous counties are: Adams, Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Lucas, Mahaska, Mills, Monroe, Montgomery, Polk, Ringgold, Union and Warren.
Three Missouri counties, Atchison, Nodaway and Worth, and two Nebraska counties, Cass and Otoe, are also eligible for emergency loans because they are contiguous.For the Aug. 10 disaster event, an Administrator’s Physical Loss Notification has been issued for Clinton County as the primary damaged area.
Additionally, four Iowa counties are contiguous to this designated disaster area, making these producers also potentially eligible for programs based on this designation. The contiguous counties are: Cedar, Jackson, Jones and Scott.Three Illinois counties, Carroll, Rock Island and Whiteside, are also eligible for emergency loans because they are contiguous.
For the Aug. 18 disaster event, an Administrator’s Physical Loss Notification has been issued for Osceola County as the primary damaged area.
Additionally, five Iowa counties are contiguous to this designated disaster area, making these producers also potentially eligible for programs based on this designation. The contiguous counties are: Clay, Dickinson, Lyon, O’Brien and Sioux.
Two Minnesota counties, Jackson and Nobles, are also eligible for emergency loans because they are contiguous.
FSA’s low interest emergency loans may be made available to any applicant with a qualifying loss in the counties named above. Approval is limited to applicants who suffered severe physical losses only.
Physical loss loans may be made to eligible farmers and ranchers to repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agriculture operation, including livestock losses. Examples of property commonly affected include essential farm buildings, fixtures to real estate, equipment, livestock, perennial crops, fruit and nut bearing trees, and harvested or stored crops and hay.
Producers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans for physical losses.
Please contact FSA for more information on loan eligibility and the application process. FSA office information is available at http://offices.usda.gov. Additional FSA disaster assistance program information is available at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.