Low Interest Emergency Physical Loss Loans Available for 10 Arkansas Counties with Assistance to Producers in Surrounding Counties and States LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 1, 2018 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Acting Administrator Steve Peterson today announced that physical loss loans are available for 10 counties in Arkansas. Farm operators who have suffered major physical losses caused by excessive rain, flash flooding, flooding, high winds and tornadoes occurring from Jan. 21, 2018, and continuing, may be eligible for emergency loans. Counties in the designated disaster area are Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Clay, Conway, Cross, Faulkner, Jefferson, Lonoke & Pulaski. Additionally, 25 counties in Arkansas are contiguous to this designated disaster area, making producers in these counties also potentially eligible for programs based on this designation. Those counties are Calhoun, Chicot, Cleburne, Cleveland, Crittenden, Desha, Drew, Grant, Greene, Jackson, Lincoln, Monroe, Perry, Phillips, Poinsett, Pope, Prairie, Randolph, St. Francis, Saline, Union, Van Buren, White, Woodruff and Yell. Producers located in Morehouse and Union Parishes in Louisiana, along with Butler, Dunklin and Ripley counties in Missouri, are potentially eligible for programs because they are also contiguous to the designated disaster area. FSA’s low interest emergency loans may be made available to any applicant with a qualifying loss in the counties named above. Approval is limited to applicants who suffered severe physical losses only. Physical loss loans may be made to eligible farmers and ranchers to repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agriculture operation, including livestock losses. Examples of property commonly affected include essential farm buildings, fixtures to real estate, equipment, livestock, perennial crops, fruit and nut bearing trees, and harvested or stored crops and hay. Producers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans for physical losses. Please contact FSA for more information on loan eligibility and the application process. FSA office information is available at http://offices.usda.gov. Additional FSA disaster assistance program information is available at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.