U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has issued a natural disaster designation for 12 Illinois counties today. The USDA reviewed the Loss Assessment Reports and determined there were sufficient production losses to warrant a Secretarial natural disaster designation due to excessive moisture and flash flooding this Spring.
The disaster designation includes farmers in Calhoun, Cass, Edgar, Jefferson, Jersey, McLean, Macoupin, Monroe, Morgan, Moultrie, St. Clair, and Sangamon. It will also include the contiguous counties, which will encompass the entire WLDS/WEAI listening area.
A Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the USDA Farm Service Agency to provide emergency loans to producers recovering from natural disasters. Producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to ask questions or file a Notice of Loss.