WASHINGTON — Farmers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia may be eligible for federal disaster relief.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture designated 24 Ohio counties as primary natural disaster areas due to the significant production losses caused by excessive rain and flooding from Jan. 1 through Aug. 20.
The Ohio counties with the primary natural disaster designation include Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Clinton, Columbiana, Coshocton, Darke, Fairfield, Franklin, Geauga, Hardin, Harrison, Jefferson, Lake, Licking, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Morgan, Muskingum, Perry, Pickaway, Shelby and Tuscarawas.
Under this disaster designation, producers in contiguous counties in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia also qualify for benefits.
This includes: Allen, Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Brown, Champaign, Clermont, Cuyahoga, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Greene, Guernsey, Hancock, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Knox, Logan, Madison, Marion, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Noble, Portage, Preble, Richland, Ross, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Union, Warren, Washington, Wayne, and Wyandot in Ohio; Beaver, Crawford, Erie, Lawrence and Mercer counties in Pennsylvania; and Brooke, Hancock and Ohio counties in West Virginia.
Farmers are eligible for assistance, including emergency loans, provided that eligibility requirements are met. Eligible farmers can apply for loans through June 4, 2020, and should contact their local Farm Service Agency office for assistance.
More information on USDA’s disaster assistance program, including county lists and maps, can be found at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
