2012 PRESS RELEASES
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October 19, 2012
THIRTY-THREE VIRGINIA COUNTIES RECEIVE PRIMARY DISASTER DECLARATIONS
~ Additional localities receive designation as contiguous disaster areas ~
Contact: Elaine J. Lidholm, 804.786.7686
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) announced today that 33 Virginia counties have received U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) designation as primary disaster areas due to losses caused by drought and related disasters that occurred during the 2012 crop year. Those counties are Amelia, Appomattox, Bedford, Buckingham, Caroline, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Essex, Gloucester, Greene, Hanover, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Lunenburg, Madison, Mathews, Middlesex, Northumberland, Nottoway, Orange, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Sussex and Westmoreland.
In accordance with section 321(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, additional areas of Virginia were named as contiguous disaster counties, meaning they border a county or city named as a primary disaster area. Those designations include the counties of Albemarle*, Amherst, Botetourt, Brunswick, Campbell, Charles City, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Franklin, Goochland, Greensville, Halifax, Henrico, Henry, James City, Louisa, Mecklenburg, Nelson*, New Kent, Page*, Prince George, Prince William, Rappahannock, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Southampton, Surry and York and the independent cities of Bedford, Colonial Heights, Danville, Fredericksburg, Hopewell, Lynchburg, Petersburg and Richmond. Albemarle*, Nelson and Page counties previously received primary disaster designations due to the derecho storm of late June/early July.
A federal Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in both primary and contiguous counties eligible to be considered for assistance from the federal Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. This assistance includes FSA emergency loans.
Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loan assistance. FSA will consider each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses, security available and repayment ability. Local FSA offices can provide affected farmers with more information.
Matthew J. Lohr, VDACS Commissioner, said, “While I am sorry that so many Virginia counties and cities needed to be designated as disaster areas, I am grateful that the USDA has designated them and offered assistance in the form of low interest loans. Any assistance farmers can get will be appreciated.”
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