USDA Designates 43 Michigan Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Contact: FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov

Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border States Also Available

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2019 — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated 43 Michigan counties as primary natural disaster areas. suffered losses caused by excessive rain, flooding, flash flooding, and abnormally cold temperatures that since from March 1, 2019, may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans.

The Michigan counties with the primary natural disaster designation include Alger, Antrim, Benzie, Berrien, Cass, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Clinton, Delta, Dickinson, Eaton, Emmet, Genesee, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Huron, Ingham, Iron, Kalkaska, Lapeer, Leelanau, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Manistee, Marquette, Mason, Menominee, Monroe, Muskegon, Oakland, Oceana, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon, St. Clair, St. Joseph, Sanilac, Schoolcraft, Shiawassee, Washtenaw, and Wayne.

This natural disaster designation allows FSA to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts.

Producers in the contiguous Michigan counties of Alpena, Baraga, Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Clare, Crawford, Gladwin, Gogebic, Houghton, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lake, Luce, Mackinac, Midland, Missaukee, Montcalm, Montmorency, Newaygo, Ogemaw, Ontonagon, Oscoda, Ottawa, Saginaw, Tuscola, Van Buren, and Wexford, along with Elkhart, LaGrange, LaPorte, St. Joseph, and Steuben counties in Indiana; Fulton, Lucas, and Williams counties in Ohio; and Door, Florence, Forest, Marinette, and Vilas counties in Wisconsin,

are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

The deadline to apply for these emergency loans is June 30, 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.