February 16, 2024
More Than 60 Virginia Localities Eligible for USDA Emergency Loans Through Drought Designation
Producers should contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency office for drought designation emergency assistance
Contact: Michael Wallace

Drought conditions affected many of Virginia’s agricultural producers in numerous localities and all parts of the state during the 2023 growing season. To provide assistance to affected producers, USDA Secretary Thomas Vilsack began designating Virginia counties as primary natural disaster areas in October of 2023 and continued through December. Producers within identified areas have eight months from the date of designation to apply for certain USDA assistance. The 23 Virginia counties that received primary natural disaster designation include:

Farmers in these primary counties are eligible to be considered for assistance from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). In addition to the 23 primary counties, the 39 localities that are contiguous to the primary counties are also eligible for drought emergency assistance. View the full listing of all primary and contiguous localities receiving a natural disaster designation.

This natural disaster assistance includes FSA emergency loans. Provided eligibility requirements are met, the FSA will assess each emergency loan application individually and will consider specific circumstances and needs. Farmers in eligible localities have eight months from the date of the disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans. Producers should contact their county’s FSA Service Center for more information on this designation, services available, date of declaration and application deadline.

For more information on available assistance programs and the application process, please contact the FSA Service Center in your county of operation, Virginia FSA State Office website, or call 804.287.1500. Additional USDA disaster assistance information is available on the Disaster Assistance Programs at a Glance website.