Franklin and Oxford county farmers are eligible for low-interest emergency loans after their counties were declared primary natural disaster areas.

U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe, R-Maine, Thursday announced that four Maine counties were approved under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Farm operators within Aroostook, Franklin, Oxford and Penobscot counties are now eligible for the loans from the Farm Service Agency.

The disaster declaration is based on submitted damage assessment reports provided by each county detailing the excessive rain that occurred from June 1, 2003, which contributed to losses in agricultural products within the regions.

“The financial assistance these low-interest loans provide serves as a vital tool for preventing further economic hardship caused by unpredictable weather,” Snowe said in a prepared statement.

Additionally, several other Maine counties were declared contiguous disaster areas, thus making them also eligible to be considered for the low-interest emergency loans from FSA: Androscoggin, Cumberland, Hancock, Kennebec, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, Washington and York counties.