The federal government has designated Isle of Wight County an agricultural disaster area because of crop-damaging rains last fall, allowing farmers to apply for low interest emergency loans, state officials announced Thursday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s declaration also covered Southampton, Patrick and Surry counties as areas that suffered significant crop losses after Hurricane Joaquin-related weather swept through the area between Sept. 24 and Oct. 6 last year, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The USDA named Newport News, James City, Franklin and Suffolk among a dozen localities as “contiguous disaster areas” because they border those four counties.
Isle of Wight County’s major loss came from its 7,312 acres of soybean crops, said Janet Spencer, the county’s agricultural extension agent. About 31 percent of the crops were likely lost, estimated at $1.35 million, Spencer said, who pointed out that the numbers are close estimates but not exact because they’re compiled before the final harvest.
Farmers in these areas have eight months to apply for the low interest emergency loans – up to $500,000 – through the USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Farmers must show that their individual operations have suffered at least a 30 percent loss, according to the Farm Service Agency.
To get the designation, an area’s local Farm Service Agency office must show the USDA that at least one of the locality’s crops suffered a 30 percent loss or more. It can also show that local lending institutions won’t be able to provide emergency loans.
The designation still allows farmers of other crops to apply for loans if they can show a 30 percent loss, according to the Farm Service Agency.
Spencer said she met with Surry County’s extension agent and the local Farm Service Agency representative to determine the damage after Hurricane Joaquin. They found that soy bean seeds had rotted and other seeds had contracted purple seed stain disease, which downgrades their quality, Spencer said.
Cecil Byrum, who runs a farm in Windsor, said his crops suffered some damage to grade and quality but not enough to be eligible for the loan. He doesn’t plan on applying, and he didn’t think others would, either.
“I’m 58 years old and rarely have I ever known anybody in this area to qualify for such a program,” Byrum said.
Shelly Barlow, who co-owns a Windsor operation, said her farm doesn’t traditionally apply for the loans because they have their own lenders. But she called the program a “valuable tool” that “will help many area farmers.”
The Board of Supervisors approved a resolution in November to ask for support from Gov. Terry McAuliffe after receiving a letter from Spencer that detailed how badly the crops were affected.
Farmers in Isle of Wight were previously eligible for the loans in 2010 for drought-related damage and in 2011 for tropical storm weather, Spencer said.
Farmers interested in an emergency loan can apply at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/emergency-farm-loans/index.
Amin can be reached by phone at 757-247-4890.
