Published: June 26, 2008 11:55 am         

County to get farm aid

Cooke County was one of several counties recently named by the Secretary of Agriculture as eligible for loans to cover damages from a recent round of severe spring storms.

Emergency farm loans applications are being accepted from agricultural producers reporting damages from storms — which resulted in tornadoes and flooding — between April 9-28.

The applications are for production and physical losses. The final day to apply is Jan. 9, 2009.

Applications are available and are being accepted at the Farm Service Agency (FSA) Office located in Stephenville, Cynthia Kruger, FSA Farm Loan Manager said in a statement Tuesday.

Farm Service Agency is a credit agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and provides disaster emergency loans to recognized farmers who work at and rely on farming for a substantial part of their living.

Chance Fenoglio, of the Gainesville FSA, said it would be better for local farmers and ranchers to contact the Stephenville office or visit it in person (see contact information below).

“Those farm loan offices are more like regional offices, and our county is served out of Erath county,” Fenoglio said.

He said Cooke County crops seem to be in good shape, in general.

“The wind didn’t blow any crops over, I heard no reports of hail damage,” he said. “Wheat and fall crops were better than average, though we could use some more rain soon.”

Fenoglio said the corn crop is starting to get dry — the stalks becoming a dull green rather than the healthy bright green.

The Milo crop looks pretty good. It can tolerate those drought conditions,” he added. “If we get a rain right now, I don’t think the crops will be hurt.”

Kruger said in her statement farmers may be eligible for loans up to 100 percent of their actual losses or the operating loan required to continue in business, whichever is less.

For farmers unable to obtain credit from private commercial lenders, the interest rate is 3.75 percent.

“As a general rule, a farmer must have suffered at least 30 percent loss of production to be eligible for a FSA Emergency Loan,” Kruger said. “Farmers participating in the Federal Crop Insurance Program will have to figure in proceeds from those programs, in determining their loss.”

Applications for loans under these emergency designations will be accepted until the designated final date, but farmers should apply as soon as possible, Kruger said. Delays in applying could create backlogs in processing and possibly over into the new farming season.

Individual farmers who are U.S. citizens are eligible for assistance, as are farming partnerships, corporations or cooperatives in which U.S. citizens hold a majority interest, according to Kruger’s statement.

The FSA Office in Gainesville is located at 2200 North Grand Ave., and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office may be contacted at 668-7794.

The Erath County FSA Service Center in Stephenville is located and may be written at: 245 S. Virgina St., Stephenville, TX, 76401-0210. The office may be contacted at 1(254)965-3715. The office fax number is 1(254)965-4910.

Reporter Andy Hogue may be contacted at andyhoguegdr@ntin.net