News Release

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO) – The Missouri Department of Agriculture has been notified of a Presidential disaster designation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for 31 Missouri counties. The declaration designates qualified counties as natural disasters and eligible for physical and/or production loss loan assistance. The counties included in the declaration are Barry, Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Howell, Madison, McDonald, Mississippi, New Madrid, Newton, Oregon, Ozark, Pemiscot, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, Stone, Taney and Wayne. The contiguous counties eligible for assistance includes Christian, Dent, Douglas, Iron, Lawrence, Perry, St. Francois and Texas.

“We are dedicated to providing Missouri farmers with information they need to help them recover from losses from natural disasters,” said Dr. Jon Hagler, director of the Department of Agriculture. “The agriculture industry 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 continue to work 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 (FSA) Acting State Executive Director Gerald Hrdina. His letters informed the state Department of Agriculture that FSA emergency loan assistance was now available due the severe winter storm which occurred Jan. 26-31, 2009.

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