The United States Department of Agriculture has designated Maine counties as primary natural disaster areas.
This secretarial natural disaster designation allows the department’s Farm Service Agency to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.
Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs. These include the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability, according to a news release from the Farm Service Agency in Bangor.
Primary counties eligible are Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington and York.
The triggering disaster was excessive rain, covering April 30 to Oct. 15, 2023. The application deadline is Sept. 26.
To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact a local USDA service center.
On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Loan Assistance Tool can help one determine program or loan options.
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