Kim Buchheit, Farm Service Agency (FSA) Farm Loan Manger (FLM), announced that Sioux, Dawes and Sheridan counties are three of 4 Nebraska counties designated as contiguous natural disaster areas due to severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding conditions affecting parts of South Dakota. Those counties are Cherry, Dawes, Sheridan, and Sioux.
These counties were designated a Presidential Major Disaster on July 30, 2015, based on June 17-24, 2015 storms. This designation authorizes Emergency (EM) Loans for eligible producers. Buchheit stated, “Producers in these counties are encouraged to contact their local FSA Service Center for detailed information about available programs and updated disaster designations.”
Emergency Loan applications are available for qualifying physical or production losses caused by these disaster conditions. Physical losses include structures, equipment and livestock while production losses include crops. These loans do require security and the ability to repay the loan. The deadline for submitting applications is March 30, 2016. For additional details contact the Chadron FSA office at 308-432-4616.
In addition to the Emergency (EM) Loan Program, the FSA has other loan programs and disaster assistance programs which can be considered in assisting farmers to recover from their losses. Contact your local FSA Service Center or access additional information about Farm Loan and FSA Disaster Assistance programs at www.fsa.usda.gov.
While this release pertains to the availability of FSA programs, other federal agencies such as FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and SBA (Small Business Administration) may also have assistance to the public. Information is available from these two agencies at the following websites: www.fema.gov and www.sba.gov.
ARC, PLC and CTAP Acreage Maintenance
Producers enrolled in Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), and/or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) must protect all cropland and noncropland acres on the farm from wind and water erosion and noxious weeds. Producers who sign ARC county or individual contracts and PLC contracts agree to effectively control noxious weeds on the farm according to sound agricultural practices. If a producer fails to take necessary actions to correct a maintenance problem on a farm that is enrolled in ARC or PLC the County Committee may elect to terminate the contract for the applicable program year(s).
- ARC/PLC Sign-up Deadline – September 30, 2015
- Fall Crop Reporting Deadline – November 15, 2015
- NAP losses must be reported with 15 days of the when the loss is apparent