USDA designates 20 Arkansas counties as disaster areas due to drought

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 20 Arkansas counties as “Primary Natural Disaster” areas. This designation allows the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

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

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, these counties suffered from drought intensity values ranging from “Severe” to “Exceptional.”

Primary counties eligible include: Benton, Conway, Lawrence, Pope, Boone, Faulkner, Madison, Searcy, Carroll, Independence, Marion, Stone, Clay, Izard, Newton, Van Buren, Cleburne, Johnson, Polk, and Washington.

Contiguous counties eligible include: Baxter, Greene, Montgomery, Scott, Craighead, Howard, Perry, Sevier, Crawford, Jackson, Pike, Sharp, Franklin, Logan, Pulaski, White, Fulton, Lonoke, Randolph, and Yell.