FSA has disaster loans available, official says

Saline County and 104 other counties in Missouri have Farm Service Agency disaster loans available.

The loans became available effective Oct. 10.

FSA State Executive Director Tim Kelley announced that the loans will be available due to the drought which occurred Jan. 1, and continues.

Applications for assistance will be accepted at the county office of the Farm Service Agency in Marshall, for physical and production losses caused by this disaster.

Applications will be accepted through June 11, 2007.

Loans for physical losses must be used to replace or repair damage to buildings, fences, or to compensate the farmer for losses of basic livestock, stored crops, or supplies on hand, equipment, etc., that was lost due to the disaster. Loans for production losses may also be used to buy feed, seed, fertilizer, livestock or to make payments on real estate or chattel debts. Generally, loans for production losses cannot be approved until crops have completed their production cycle or have been harvested.

In order to qualify, a farmer must have suffered a 30 percent loss in production or an actual physical loss that was essential to the successful operation of the farm.

Loans for actual losses are made at an interest rate of 3.75 percent for emergency loans to those eligible applicants who are unable to obtain the actual credit needed from another source. All loan programs of the Farm Service Agency are conducted on a non-discriminatory basis.