The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 11 Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas because of drought, the state Department of Agriculture and Industries announced Tuesday.

The designation makes farm operators in the counties and in contiguous counties eligible to be considered for Farm Service Agency emergency loan assistance.

“We recognize that the drought conditions have hit Alabama farmers hard and hope this disaster relief from USDA will ease some of the financial burdens,” Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate said. “We encourage farmers to reach out to their local USDA offices for details about available funding.”

The 11 primary Alabama counties included in the disaster designation are Butler, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Madison, Marshall and Morgan.

Fifteen contiguous counties were included in the disaster designation: Blount, Calhoun, Cleburne, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Etowah, Lawrence, Limestone, Lowndes, Marion, Monroe, Walker, Wilcox and Winston.

Last month, the USDA designated Baldwin, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile and Monroe as primary disaster areas, along with five contiguous counties: Butler, Clarke, Covington, Washington and Wilcox.

Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans. FSA considers each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses and the security and repayment ability of the operator.

More information on the Farm Service Agency loan program. Find your local USDA service center.

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