by Brent Addleman
Farmers in eight Connecticut counties are now eligible for federal disaster assistance due to ongoing drought conditions.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved Gov. Ned Lamont’s request to widen a natural disaster declaration for portions of the state affected by drought over the summer.
“Agricultural producers support thousands of jobs in Connecticut and are a critical component of our economy,” Lamont said in a release. “I strongly encourage any farmer operators in Connecticut that experienced losses because of the drought to reach out to their local Farm Service Agency office for information on assistance that may be available.”
Farmers in Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New London and Windham counties have been included in a primary natural disaster areas and can be considered for assistance from the Farm Service Agency for emergency loans to offset production losses due to weather conditions. Those farms in New Haven and Tolland counties are also includes as part of a contiguous disaster area.
“Drought conditions hurt farmers across the state this summer,” Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt said in a release. “The recent rainfall has alleviated water concerns for producers but doesn’t bring back crops that were lost or significantly impacted with reduced yields. The disaster declaration provides a pathway for assistance, and we encourage producers to contact their local Farm Service Agency office for more guidance.”
According to the release, farmers will have eight months from the date of the disaster declaration to contact the Farm Service Agency in their region to apply for support.
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Brent Addleman is an Associate Editor of The Center Square and a veteran journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He has served as editor of newspapers in Pennsylvania and Texas, and has also worked at newspapers in Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Kentucky.
Photo “Farmer” by cottonbro.
