By Blake Jackson
The United States Department of Agriculture has approved a Secretarial natural disaster designation for parts of Missouri affected by severe drought conditions during the growing season.
The designation allows the USDA Farm Service Agency to provide emergency loan assistance to agricultural producers facing financial losses tied to the drought.
Farmers in eligible areas may use emergency loans to recover from production losses and restore normal operations.
Assistance can help replace essential farm equipment or livestock, reorganize farming operations, and refinance certain existing debts. Loan applications will be evaluated based on the level of damage sustained, available collateral, and the producer’s ability to repay the loan.
The designation was triggered after drought conditions met the qualifying thresholds outlined by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Counties experienced either severe drought conditions for at least eight consecutive weeks or extreme to exceptional drought levels during the growing season.
In addition to the designated Missouri counties, producers in contiguous counties including Mississippi and New Madrid are also eligible for assistance.
Farmers seeking aid or wishing to file a Notice of Loss are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center. The application deadline for emergency loan assistance is January 4, 2027.
Photo Credit: igor-stevanovic
Categories: Missouri, Government & Policy