Governor Perdue Announces Federal Loans for Georgia Farmers

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that that the Farm Service Agency approved federal loans to assist Georgia farmers affected by the record-setting cold that occurred between April 6-9, 2007.  The freeze resulted in $258 million of damage to Georgia crops, representing a 33% decrease from the normal production value for the agricultural products.

"The April freeze damaged crops across the state," said Governor Sonny Perdue.  "Farmers are a key driver of our state’s economy.  This level of damage not only impacts individual farms, it affects entire communities.  FSA’s assistance is an important aid in helping Georgia to recover from the damage caused by the freeze."

152 counties are designated primary counties, 6 counties are designated contiguous.  A list of the counties is included below.  The only county not receiving a designation was Clay County.  Farmers can apply for a loan by calling their local FSA office.

Greatest values of loss were reported for blueberries, peaches, and pecans. Blueberries have losses of $64.9 million which are 86% of the normal value. Peaches have a 78% loss of normal production with a $28.1 million loss. Pecans losses are $26.9 million, or 29% of the normal value. Small grains losses of $19.1 million are 40% of the normal value. Hay, forage, and pasture losses total $47.8 million. Total losses for grasses are equal to 41% of the normal value.

GEORGIA PRIMARY COUNTIES (152):

Appling                  Cobb                  Grady                  Madison              Stephens

Atkinson                 Coffee                 Greene                Marion                Stewart

Bacon                    Colquitt               Gwinnett              McDuffie             Sumter

Baker                     Columbia             Habersham          McIntosh             Talbot

Baldwin                  Cook                  Hall                     Meriwether          Taliaferro

Banks                     Coweta               Hancock             Miller                  Tattnall

Barrow                   Crawford            Haralson              Mitchell               Taylor

Bartow                   Crisp                   Harris                  Monroe               Telfair

Ben Hill                  Dade                   Hart                    Montgomery        Terrell

Berrien                   Dawson               Heard                  Morgan               Thomas

Bibb                       De Kalb              Henry                  Murray                Tift

Bleckley                 Decatur               Houston              Muscogee           Toombs

Brantley                  Dodge                 Irwin                   Newton               Towns

Brooks                   Dooly                  Jackson               Oconee               Treutlen

Bryan                     Douglas               Jasper                 Oglethorpe          Troup

Bulloch                   Echols                 Jeff Davis            Paulding              Turner

Burke                     Effingham            Jefferson              Peach                  Twiggs

Butts                      Elbert                  Jenkins                Pickens               Union

Camden                 Emanuel              Johnson               Pierce                  Upson

Candler                  Evans                  Jones                   Pike                    Walker

Carroll                    Fannin                 Lamar                 Polk                    Walton

Catoosa                 Fayette                Lanier                  Pulaski                Ware

Charlton                 Floyd                  Laurens               Putnam                Warren

Chatham                 Forsyth                Lee                     Rabun                 Washington

Chattahoochee       Franklin               Liberty                Richmond            Wayne

Chattooga              Fulton                  Lincoln                Rockdale             Webster

Cherokee               Gilmer                 Long                   Schley                 Wheeler

Clarke                    Glascock             Lowndes             Screven               White

Clayton                  Glynn                  Lumpkin              Seminole             Whitfield

Clinch                     Gordon               Macon                Spalding              Wilcox

                                                                                                               Wilkes

                                                                                                               Wilkinson

GEORGIACONTIGUOUS COUNTIES (6):

Calhoun            Dougherty           Early             Quitman              Randolph             Worth