FSA disaster loans available for Vernon County

Edward J. Hamill, state executive director of the Farm Service Agency, announced effective March 22, 2010, four counties -- Barton, Jasper, Newton and Vernon -- in Missouri will have FSA disaster loans available due to frost, excessive rain, flash flooding and flooding which occurred Sept. 1, 2009 to Jan. 6, 2010.

Barton, Jasper and Vernon county applications for assistance for physical and production losses caused by these disasters will be accepted at the FSA Office at 102 W. Allison, Nevada, MO 64772. Applications for this disaster will be accepted through Nov. 18, 2010.

Interested parties in Newton County should check with their local FSA office for the appropriate application filing location.

In addition, loans for physical losses must be used to replace or repair damage to buildings, fences or to compensate the farmer for losses of basic livestock, stored crops, or supplies on hand, equipment, etc., that was lost due to the disaster. Loans for production losses may also be used to buy feed, seed, fertilizer, livestock or to make payments on real estate or chattel debts.

Generally, loans for production losses cannot be approved until crops have completed their production cycle or have been harvested.

In order to qualify, a farmer must have suffered a 30 percent loss in production or an actual physical loss that was essential to the successful operation of the farm.

Loans for actual losses are made at an interest rate of 3.75 percent for emergency loans to those eligible applicants who are unable to obtain the actual credit needed from another source.

All loan programs of the Farm Service Agency are conducted on a non-discriminatory basis.