Berks County is one of 26 counties that acting United States Department of Agriculture deputy secretary Michael Young has named contiguous disaster counties, Sen. Schwank announced April 6.
This designation makes it possible for Berks farmers affected by the drought between May 1 and December 10, 2016, eligible for certain assistance from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), like FSA emergency loans.
“We had an extremely dry summer and some of our farmers experienced significant crop losses,” Sen. Schwank said. “These programs exist to help farmers recover from natural disasters like drought. Farmers should take advantage of this opportunity. There are so many variables they face alone, but this is where government can help.”
Farmers have eight months to apply for these loans. For more information, contact the Berks County FSA office at 610-478-7158 ext. 2.
Schwank is the minority chair of the state senate’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.