BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. Jack Dalrymple has asked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to issue a Secretarial Disaster Declaration for qualifying North Dakota counties where farmers and ranchers have suffered significant production losses due to this spring's severe storms, excessive rainfall, flooding and other weather-related damages.
"Excessive rainfall and flooding have kept our farmers from planting nearly 6 million acres - an unprecedented amount of productive farmland that will not generate revenue this year," Dalrymple said. "Farmers and ranchers throughout the state are also dealing with the effects of other weather-related issues including severe storms and frost that further damaged crops already showing yield losses."
Dalrymple has asked Vilsack to issue a Secretarial Disaster Declaration for all counties experiencing significant production losses. The request for a disaster declaration is based on damage assessments completed by North Dakota's local County Emergency Boards. Farmers in counties contiguous to primary disaster areas also could be eligible for assistance.
A disaster declaration would make farmers in designated counties eligible for assistance through the USDA's Farm Service Agency. Farmers would be eligible to receive FSA emergency loans or assistance from the federal Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program.
