Floods ID Molokai as Disaster Area

USDA News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Hawaii and Maui counties in Hawaii as primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by drought that occurred from Jan. 1, 2009, and continuing.

Kalawao County was designated a natural disaster area Dec. 9, 2009, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met.  

Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses.  FSA will take into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. 

“President Obama and I understand these conditions caused severe damage to these areas and serious harm to farms in Hawaii and we want to help,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.  “This action will provide help to hundreds of farmers who suffered significant production losses to warm season grasses.”

USDA has also made other programs available to assist farmers and ranchers, including the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE), which was approved as part of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008; the Emergency Conservation Program; Federal Crop Insurance; and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.  Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs.  Additional information is also available online at:  http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov