Governor Rauner issues letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack requesting flood relief
Record rainfall impacting crops across Illinois

[July 24, 2015]  SPRINGFIELD, IL-Governor Bruce Rauner issued an official letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack Thursday requesting all counties in Illinois experiencing crop damage related to recent flooding be included in a Secretarial Disaster Declaration.

"I commend Governor Rauner for taking swift action to help farmers across the state who are experiencing hardships due to the record rainfall we received," said Director of Agriculture Philip Nelson. "After touring some of the hardest hit areas in the state this week, it is noticeable that we will see considerably lower crop yields in those areas this year."

Earlier in the week, Nelson, joined by U.S. Farm Service Agency (FSA) officials, toured Iroquois County, one of the hardest hit areas in the state. Officials on the ground in Iroquois County estimate nearly 40% of the county's crops were underwater at one time due to flooding.

The State Emergency Board will convene on Monday, July 27 to review the county emergency board minutes and loss assessments in preparation for determining county eligibility. The Illinois Department of Agriculture will continue to assist FSA in securing benefits for farmers who are impacted by flooding. A Secretarial Disaster Declaration would provide farmers in designated counties the ability to receive low interest emergency loans if they meet all eligibility requirements.

If your crops have been impacted by recent flooding, contact your federal crop insurance provider. For additional information, contact Illinois State Farm Service Agency at [phone].

[Illinois Department of Agriculture]