UTICA – U.S. Representative Richard Hanna (NY-24) announced this week that several counties in the Central New York and Southern Tier areas, including Chenango County, have been designated “disasters” due to damage and losses caused by drought and excessive heat that have occurred since June.

At the request of New York state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has determined the counties suffered sufficient production losses due to drought and related disasters that occurred from June 1, 2012 to warrant a Secretarial disaster designation.

A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in both primary and contiguous counties eligible to be considered for an assistance from the FSA provided eligibility requirements are met. This assistance includes FSA emergency loans. Farmers in eligible counties have 8 months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loan assistance. FSA will consider each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses, security available and repayment ability.