Area farmers eligible for drought disaster loans

MOSES LAKE — Farmers and producers in 20 Washington counties will have until Dec. 22 to file for emergency loans following a drought disaster declaration from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Nine counties were declared as primary disaster areas, including Grant, Adams and Franklin counties. Producers in Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan and Lincoln counties also are eligible.

The area suffered severe to extreme drought during the 2021 growing season, according to a press release from the USDA.

The emergency loans are issued through the Farm Security Administration, a division of the USDA, and can be used for producer operations, including replacing essential items such as equipment and livestock, for refinancing some debt or reorganizing a farm operation, the press release said.

Farmers can contact their local USDA Service Center for more information.