Kansas farmers eligible for disaster assistance
Governor’s request for disaster aid approved by federal government

Farmers in 57 Kansas counties are now eligible to receive disaster assistance for losses suffered during this year’s extreme weather.

Governor Kathleen Sebelius today announced the federal government has approved her August 2 request for disaster relief.

“Kansas farmers have had a rough year, largely due to the drought and intense heat.  That hurts crop yields, which is why I asked the federal government to provide this assistance to our farmers,” Sebelius said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture designated 57 Kansas counties primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by the combined effects of various disasters that occurred during the past year, including a late spring freeze, drought, high winds and extreme temperatures.  An additional 18 counties contiguous to the 57 counties are also eligible.

The declaration makes all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met.  Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses.         

The counties eligible for assistance include:  Barber, Barton, Cheyenne, Clark, Cloud, Comanche, Decatur, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Harper, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jewell, Kearney, Kiowa, Lane, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Meade, Mitchell, Ness, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pratt, Rawlins, Republic, Rice, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wallace, Woodson.

Counties also eligible because they are contiguous to these counties are:  Allen, Anderson, Butler, Clay, Coffey, Cowley, Dickinson, Greenwood, Harvey, Kingman, Marion, Morton, Neosho, Reno, Sedgwick, Washington, Wichita, Wilson.

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