Sebelius seeks disaster designation for crop losses in eight counties
Governor sends letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary requesting aid

Severe weather has caused losses for agricultural producers in several Kansas counties this year, and Governor Kathleen Sebelius is seeking federal assistance with the recovery.

Sebelius has sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns asking that eight Kansas counties be declared agricultural disaster areas due to crop losses resulting from spring storms.

“Kansas has been hit by a number of severe storms that have caused extensive damage to crops.  Man of our counties have already been declared disaster areas at the secretarial and presidential level, however, a few counties impacted by severe weather are not yet covered by these declarations.  We want to get those declarations in place so producers in these counties can receive assistance,” said Sebelius.

The State Emergency Board, which includes representatives from USDA’s Farm Service Agency, K-State University Research and Extension, Kansas Agricultural Statistics and the Kansas Department of Agriculture, reviews damage assessments submitted by county emergency boards. 

The board identified eight counties with loss estimates exceeding 30 percent for major crops and where a significant number of farmers were impacted:

• Hamilton and Trego counties for an ice storm, hail and high winds occurring through May 23, 2007;
• Kearny County for hail and high winds occurring May 23, 2007;
• Ellis County for hail and high winds occurring May 22 and May 31, 2007;
• Gove and Norton counties for hail, high winds and excessive rain occurring May 31, 2007;
• Jewell County for hail, high winds, excessive rain, lightning, flash flooding and flooding occurring May 31, 2007; and
• Lane County for hail, high winds and excessive rain occurring June 19, 2007.

Sebelius asked Johanns to declare each of the counties an agricultural disaster area so farmers will become eligible for low-interest loans for physical and crop production losses.

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