WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved a disaster declaration for nine Massachusetts counties, which will also benefit farmers in the adjacent Rhode Island counties of Bristol, Newport, and Providence that suffered damage as a result of Tropical Storm Irene.  This declaration paves the way for farmers in those counties to seek financial assistance for their losses due to the severe weather.

“We are pleased the Obama Administration has once again taken steps to help the state and we urge the USDA to expedite disaster assistance to our hardworking farmers who need assistance,” said Reed and Whitehouse.   “We also urge USDA to extend the declaration statewide to ensure that all farmers who need help can get recovery assistance.”

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack granted the Secretarial disaster designation today, making farmers in these counties eligible to be considered for assistance from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met.  This assistance includes FSA emergency loans and the supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program.  Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loan assistance.  FSA will consider each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses, security available, and repayment ability. 

On September 6th Governor Chafee requested the disaster declaration for Rhode Island’s agriculture industry, and that application is still pending with the USDA.  Last week, Senator Reed joined with officials from the Farm Credit Administration to tour local farms in Rhode Island.