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Montana: Disaster designation in North Dakota affects producers in three northeastern counties

BOZEMAN, MT – Farmers and ranchers in three northeastern Montana counties may be eligible for financial relief due to crop losses. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently designated Richland, Roosevelt and Sheridan counties in Montana as contiguous disaster areas due to multiple natural disasters affecting most of North Dakota in 2010, Montana Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Bruce Nelson announced Jan. 6, 2011.

Eligible producers can apply for assistance through the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE), which is one of the disaster programs created under the 2008 Farm Bill that provides financial assistance for crop production and or quality losses due to a natural disaster. SURE Program applications for 2010 crop losses will not be accepted until late 2011 or early 2012, when the 2010 National Average Market Prices become available.

Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the Dec. 27, 2010 secretarial designation to apply for assistance through the Emergency Loan Program that is available for producers who suffered either a 30 percent production loss or sustained substantial physical losses to livestock, buildings or real estate caused by declared natural disaster. The current interest rate for emergency loans is 3.75 percent.



For more information, visit your local FSA office or http://www.fsa.usda.gov/mt.