Skip to content

USDA Emergency Disaster

Gov. Bevin Requests USDA Emergency
Disaster Declaration for Kentucky Farmers

Designation will provide low-interest loans to
Kentucky farmers impacted by severe weather

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 29, 2018) – Gov. Matt Bevin today submitted an emergency disaster designation and declaration request in support of Kentucky’s farmers to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

The request follows months of heavy rains and severe weather in the Commonwealth, resulting in flooding and wind damage in many Kentucky counties. These weather events adversely impacted the yield and quality of crops for farmers across the state and resulted in damage to buildings, fences, equipment and farming infrastructure.

“Kentucky farm families are a vital part of our individual communities and our state’s overall economy,” said Gov. Bevin. “We are grateful to Secretary Perdue and the USDA for considering this request to provide our hardworking farmers with much-needed assistance in the aftermath of an extraordinarily challenging weather year.”

In the request to Secretary Perdue, Gov. Bevin urged that assistance be made available to Kentucky farmers to mitigate the significant harvest losses and discounted market prices resulting from poor weather conditions.

“Farming is one of the few occupations where year after year you can do everything right, and Mother Nature can sweep it all away,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles. “The Kentucky Department of Agriculture appreciates this request for an emergency declaration and any support it may provide our hardworking farmers who produce food and fiber for the Commonwealth.”

“Farming is indeed a high-risk business. Kentucky has had an abnormally wet and windy September and fall,” said Warren Beeler, executive director for the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy (GOAP). “Due to the remnants of two hurricanes, we have blown down crops, fences taken out from flooding and damaged discounted grain at marketing time. Kentucky agriculture needs and is thankful for the Governor’s request for a disaster declaration.”

USDA Secretarial disaster designations must be requested by the governor or the governor’s authorized representative. Once approved by the USDA, the designation will allow for the availability of low-interest loans to farmers in all primary and contiguous counties impacted by the disaster.

Eligible natural disasters include “damaging weather conditions or other adverse natural occurrence phenomena [that] have substantially affected farmers causing severe production losses.”

“This year’s heavy rains and strong winds have resulted in damaged crops and even some farmers suffering a total loss,” said Sen. Paul Hornback, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “I appreciate the Governor’s decision to request assistance from the USDA, and I’m hopeful that important federal resources will soon be made available to support Kentucky farmers.”

“Every year and every season, Kentucky farmers face the rigors of the weather,” said Rep. Richard Heath, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. “This year, the weather has taken an extraordinary toll on our local communities and economies. As a result, I applaud Gov. Bevin for pursing these emergency loans for farmers that are in great need. I look forward to Secretary Purdue and the USDA quickly approving relief for the areas of Kentucky that have been hit so hard with adverse weather, which has damaged crops and even farm infrastructure.”

A copy of the official request submitted by Gov. Bevin is available here.

Additional information regarding USDA disaster assistance programs is available at: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/.

###

1 Comment

  1. Connie Logsdon on October 29, 2018 at 9:54 pm

    Doing away with the CREP program is devastating to the farmers also. It will also hurt the economy because there won’t be any money to spend. Please rethink this decision.

Leave a Comment