News Releases for December 2003
December 3, 2003
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Hoeven Announces USDA Secretarial Disaster Declaration for 47 North Dakota Counties
BISMARCK, N.D. - Governor John Hoeven received notification today that U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman has designated 47 of North Dakota's 53 counties secretarial disaster areas due to flooding, ground saturation, severe temperatures and weather-related crop damage.
The remaining six counties - Benson, Eddy, Foster, Nelson, Pembina and Richland - though not declared as disaster areas, are named as contiguous disaster counties and are eligible for emergency loan assistance.
"Despite the fact that some producers in our state had a great year, we can't forget about those that were severely impacted by drought and flooding," Hoeven said. "This declaration is critical for those farmers who sustained weather-related crop damage."
Hoeven requested the designation in an October 24, 2003, letter to Secretary Veneman in which he stated that according to data compiled by USDA county offices, 47 counties met the criterion of 30 percent or greater crop losses.
The secretarial disaster designation is based on damage assessment reports submitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) State Emergency Board. The designations make all qualified farm operators in primary and contiguous disaster counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months to apply for the loans to help cover part of their actual losses.
"North Dakota's agricultural economy has been impacted by several disaster conditions this past year and this declaration will provide producers with the resources to obtain emergency assistance and low-interest loans," Hoeven said. "We will continue to work with federal officials in an effort to mitigate the effects of disasters on our farmers and ranchers."
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