A federal agriculture disaster declaration has been designated in 53 Missouri counties from severe flooding this year. The move allows farmers and ag producers to apply for USDA Farm Service Agency emergency loans for things like the replacement equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts.

The Missouri counties with the primary natural disaster designation include Adair, Audrain, Bates, Boone, Butler, Caldwell, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Clark, Clay, Cole, Cooper, Daviess, DeKalb, Franklin, Gasconade, Grundy, Harrison, Howard, Jasper, Jefferson, Knox, Laclede, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, McDonald, Maries, Marion, Mercer, Miller, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Newton, Osage, Pettis, Pike, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, St. Charles, Schuyler, Scotland, Scott, Shelby, Stoddard, Vernon, Warren, and Wright.

Producers in the contiguous Missouri counties of Andrew, Barry, Barton, Benton, Bollinger, Buchanan, Carroll, Carter, Cass, Cedar, Chariton, Christian, Clinton, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Douglas, Dunklin, Gentry, Greene, Henry, Hickory, Jackson, Johnson, Lewis, Macon, Mississippi, Morgan, New Madrid, Perry, Phelps, Platte, Ralls, Ray, Ripley, St. Clair, Ste. Genevieve, St. Francois, St. Louis, Saline, Stone, Sullivan, Texas, Washington, Wayne, Webster, and Worth, along with Benton and Clay counties in Arkansas; Adams, Alexander, Calhoun, Hancock, Jersey, Madison, Monroe, Pike and Union counties in Illinois; Appanoose, Davis, Decatur, Lee, Ringgold, Van Buren, and Wayne counties in Iowa; Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Linn, Miami, and Wyandotte counties in Kansas; and Delaware and Ottawa counties in Oklahoma, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

The deadline to apply is April 7, 2020.

FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.

FSA has a variety of additional programs to help farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster. FSA programs that do not require a disaster declaration include: Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; and the Tree Assistance Program.

Farmers may contact their local USDA service center for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at farmers.gov/recover.

Gov. Mike Parson and members of Missouri’s Congressional delegation in both parties pushed for the declaration.

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