January 27, 2009

Agriculture Emergency Loan Assistance Available to Two Missouri Counties

Counties of McDonald & Newton Eligible for Loan Assistance

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO) – On Jan. 6, 2009, the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) was notified of a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretarial disaster designation for the counties of McDonald and Newton in southwest Missouri designating them as natural disasters and eligible for physical and/or production loss loan assistance.

“We are dedicated to providing Missouri farmers with information they need to help them recover from losses,” said Dr. Jon Hagler, director of MDA. “Agriculture is at a crossroads and there is definite opportunity for growth and expansion of operation in our state. Gov. Nixon is dedicated to seeing farm families thrive – even in these uncertain economic times. We look forward to working with folks in every corner of our state to help move agriculture forward.”

Notification of the loan assistance came from USDA’s Farm Service Agency’s State Executive Director Tim Kelley informing MDA that FSA emergency loan assistance was now available due to combined efforts of multiple disasters, including ice storms, low temperatures, frost and freezes that occurred Dec. 8, 2007 thru Oct. 31, 2008. This advisement was due to the Secretarial disaster designation S2842 in Oklahoma.

For more information, contact your local FSA office or call the Missouri State FSA office at (573) 876-0980.