Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK – Farmers in 60 Arkansas counties are eligible to apply for emergency low-interest federal loans under a U.S. Agriculture Department declaration related to October flooding, Gov. Mike Beebe’s office said today.

The new USDA Secretarial disaster declaration also confirmed that a previous declaration issued in June remains in effect, with the cumulative effect that farmers in 60 counties may now pursue the federal loans if they are eligible, the governor’s office said.

Six of counties are included for the first time: Johnson, Logan, Newton, Ouachita, Scott and Searcy counties.

Eligibility continues for farmers in 54 other counties, including Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clark, Cleburne, Cleveland, Columbia, Conway, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Faulkner, Garland, Grant, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, Little River and Lonoke.

Farmers in Miller, Monroe, Mississippi, Montgomery, Nevada, Perry, Phillips, Pike, Poinsett, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, St. Francis, Saline, Sevier, Sharp, Stone, Union, Van Buren, White, Woodruff and Yell counties are also eligible.

Farmers who have suffered recent crop damage in those counties should contact their local U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center about their eligibility.