The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated numerous Georgia counties as eligible for disaster relief for a variety of reasons.
DROUGHT
USDA designated 20 Georgia counties as primary natural disaster areas due to recent drought conditions. This allows the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to provide emergency loans to producers recovering from natural disasters. Producers in primary and contiguous counties have until July 2024 to apply for relief.
Primary counties eligible are Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dade, Dawson, Decatur, Early, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Lumpkin, Miller, Murray, Pickens, Seminole, Union, Walker and Whitfield.
Contiguous counties also eligible are Baker, Calhoun, Clay, Cobb, Forsyth, Fulton, Grady, Hall, Mitchell, Paulding, Polk, Towns and White.
HURRICANE IDALIA
The USDA designated 27 Georgia counties as primary natural disaster areas due to the devastating impact of Hurricane Idalia. Producers in an additional 20 contiguous Georgia counties are also eligible for disaster relief coverage. Producers in eligible counties will have until July 3, 2024, to apply for FSA emergency loans.
Primary counties eligible are Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bulloch, Candler, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Evans, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Lanier, Lowndes, Montgomery, Pierce, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Toombs, Ware, Wayne and Wheeler.
Contiguous counties eligible are Bryan, Camden, Charlton, Colquitt, Dodge, Effingham, Emanuel, Glynn, Grady, Jenkins, Laurens, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Mitchell, Screven, Tift, Treutlen, Turner and Wilcox.
Producers should contact their local USDA Service Center for more information.
PRESIDENTIAL DISASTER DESIGNATION
Producers in several Georgia counties are also eligible for disaster relief coverage under a presidential disaster designation.
Primary counties eligible with a deadline to apply of May 9, 2024, are Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bulloch, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Echols, Emanuel, Jeff Davis, Jenkins, Lanier, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Thomas, Tift, Ware and Wayne.
Contiguous counties eligible with a deadline to apply of May 9, 2024, are Ben Hill, Bryan, Cook, Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Grady, Irwin, Liberty, Long, Lowndes, McIntosh, Mitchell, Telfair, Turner and Worth.
Primary counties eligible with a deadline to apply of June 3, 2024, are Burke, Montgomery, Toombs and Treutlen.
Contiguous counties eligible with a deadline to apply of June 3, 2024, are Jefferson, Johnson, Laurens, Richmond, Screven and Wheeler.
EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAM 2022
In addition to the relief specific to Georgia, USDA will provide more than $3 billion to commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2022. Eligible impacted producers can apply for financial assistance through the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) 2022.
Source: Georgia Citrus Association
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