(PRESS RELEASE) Today, Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., said the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 17 parishes in Louisiana as primary natural disaster areas because of excessive rain and flooding that occurred from August 25 through November 16, 2018. As a result, some Louisiana farmers could be eligible for assistance.

Farmers in Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Catahoula, Jefferson Davis, Lafourche, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, Terrebonne and Vermilion parishes are eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible areas have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover.

These 18 Louisiana parishes are designated contiguous disaster areas as a result of damages and losses because of the rain: Caldwell, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, Evangeline, Franklin, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafayette, LaSalle, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, St. Martin, St. Mary, Tangipahoa, Tensas and Vernon.

Local FSA offices can provide affected farmers with further information.