Farmers in 5 Maine counties eligible for federal drought assistance

Field of potato crops in 'Aroostook County

Courtesy / pixabay.com Farmers in five Maine counties can now apply for emergency federal assistance after the USDA declared a Drought Disaster Area in Aroostook and four contiguous counties. An Aroostook County potato field is pictured here.

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By Staff

Farmers in five Maine counties affected by this year's drought can now apply for federal emergency assistance to cover costs of production losses and other expenses, now that the counties have been declared a federal Drought Disaster Area.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Monday announced the declaration, allowing relief for farmers in Aroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset and Washington counties.

Those wishing to apply for emergency loans have eight months from the declaration date, Sept. 11, to do so, according to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

It also said the designation may be expanded to other counties if drought conditions persist.

So-called Secretarial Disaster Designation is triggered for severe drought through a fast-track process when a county meets the D2 (severe drought) level for eight consecutive weeks or a higher drought intensity value for any length. As soon as a declaration is made, that immediately triggers the availability of low-interest federal emergency loans to eligible producers in the area.

Funds may be used for a variety of purposes, including to restore or replace essential property, cover production costs associated with the disaster year, pay essential family living expenses, reorganize a farming operation or to refinance debt.

The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry also encouraged farmers to plan for future drought conditions by upgrading their water supplies and improving their soils, potentially drawing on technical assistance from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

That assistance is offered in the areas of agricultural water management, farm ponds and irrigation systems.

Online resources

More information about USDA Emergency Farm loans is available here. Information about programs to encourage agricultural development and sustainability can be found on the department’s Agricultural Resource Development Division website.

Three USDA Farm Service Agency programs are automatically triggered once a county has been at D2 drought status for eight consecutive weeks or immediately upon hitting D3 status for any length of time, as reported weekly by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The are: the Livestock Forage Program, Emergency Livestock Assistance Program and the Emergency Conservation Program.

Farmers in need of hay for their livestock can search the University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Hay Directory for sources of hay or straw. Farmers with excess hay are encouraged to post availability with the Extension Hay Directory form.