USDA Designates 22 Georgia Counties Primary Disaster Areas

ATLANTA –Governor Sonny Perdue announced today United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Edward T. Schafer has declared 22 eligible Georgia counties disaster areas as a result of the damage sustained from Tropical Storm Fay. The designation was sent in response to Governor Perdue's request submitted in September.

“Agriculture is Georgia's largest industry and the backbone of our economy,” said Governor Perdue. “I'm pleased the federal government agrees we should do everything in our power to assist farmers in counties that have been hit hard by Tropical Storm Fay.”

Based on USDA Damage Assessment Reports, farmers in 22 counties experienced enough damage to peanuts, cotton and corn crops to qualify for the disaster declaration. Eligible farmers in designated counties that meet the criteria may apply for a USDA low interest loan at their county Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. The 22 counties are listed below:

Baker, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Colquitt, Decatur, Early, Echols, Grady, Lanier, Lee, Lowndes, Miller, Mitchell, Pierce, Randolph, Seminole, Thomas, Ware and White.

25 additional counties were named as contiguous disaster counties. They are listed below:

Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Calhoun, Camden, Clay, Coffee, Cook, Crisp, Dougherty, Glenn, Habersham, Hall, Irwin, Lumpkin, Quitman, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell, Tift, Towns, Union, Wayne, Webster, and Worth.

For more information, please visit www.fsa.usda.gov.

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