USDA designates 74 Illinois counties natural disaster areas

[July 17, 2008]  SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich announced federal disaster assistance is available to help Illinois farmers who suffered crop losses because of excessive rain and flooding this spring.

The United States Department of Agriculture has granted the governor's request to designate 74 Illinois counties as natural disaster areas. The designation qualifies farmers in those counties and 17 contiguous counties for USDA assistance, including low-interest emergency loans.

"High grain prices will help offset production losses for those farmers who were fortunate enough to get their crops in the ground after their fields dried out, but thousands of acres across Illinois were unsalvageable," Blagojevich said. "The loans that this declaration triggers will help those farmers who weren't able to plant a crop. They can be used not only to pay production costs, but also to refinance existing debt and cover essential family living expenses."

The January-through-June period this year is the wettest on record in Illinois. Precipitation, which has been above average every month, totaled 27.7 inches the first half of the year, or 8.3 inches above average. Only 1998 started out with comparable precipitation, with 27.2 inches.

According to USDA's June Acreage Report, 1.3 million acres of Illinois corn and soybeans were flooded. That figure represents about 6 percent of the total planted acreage in the state. Some flooded fields likely were replanted. USDA currently is surveying farmers and will publish updated statistics in its August Crop Report.

The 74 counties declared as primary disaster areas are:

Adams Alexander Bond Brown Calhoun Carroll Cass Champaign Christian Clark Clay Clinton Coles Crawford Cumberland DeWitt Douglas Edgar Edwards Effingham Fayette Ford Franklin Fulton Gallatin

Greene Hamilton Hancock Hardin Henderson Henry Iroquois Jasper Jefferson Jersey Jo Daviess Johnson Lawrence Lee Logan Macon Madison Marion Mason Massac McDonough McLean Menard Monroe Montgomery

Morgan Moultrie Perry Piatt Pike Pope Pulaski Randolph Richland Rock Island Saline Sangamon Schuyler Scott St. Clair Stephenson Union Vermilion Wabash Washington Wayne White Whiteside Williamson

The 17 contiguous counties approved for disaster assistance are:

Bureau DeKalb Jackson Kankakee Knox LaSalle

Livingston Macoupin Mercer Ogle Peoria Shelby

Stark Tazewell Warren Winnebago Woodford

USDA was unable to immediately determine production losses in Boone, Cook, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. A decision on their eligibility for assistance will be made after the fall harvest.

Farmers who believe they may qualify for disaster assistance should contact their county Farm Service Agency office. Staff in county Farm Service Agency offices can verify whether producers have crops that are eligible for emergency funds. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and applicant's repayment ability.

[Text from file received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]