ATLANTA — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday morning that 17 counties in Georgia have been designated as Primary Natural Disaster Areas that will be eligible for drought-related emergency loans.
The move by the federal government allows the Farm Service Agency "to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters," a USDA release said.
The 17 primary counties are Bartow, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Filmer, Gordon, Habersham, Lumpkin, Murray, Pickens, Rabun, Towns, Union, White and Whitfield.
The release says those counties "suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season" of varying degrees of severity for eight or more consecutive weeks.
Several neighboring counties are also eligible for assistance. Those include: Banks, Catoosa, Cobb, Forsyth, Fulton, Hall, Paulding, Polk, Stephens, Walker, Columbia, Elbert, Franklin, Hart, Lincoln, Dade, Carroll and Haralson.
The USDA said producers can apply for loans until Nov. 25, 2024. For application forms and other information on the loans, visit here.
The agency added the additional details about emergency loans:
FSA emergency loans allow producers to borrow up to 100 percent of actual production or physical losses, up to a maximum amount of $500,000. These loans assist producers in meeting their various recovery needs, including the payment of essential family living expenses, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA considers each emergency loan application on its own merits, considering the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.
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