USDA issues disaster declaration for farmers after late March freeze
farm, seeds, land
Some Alabama farmers experiencing a tough harvest after March’s weather issues have help on the way, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a disaster designation for dozens of counties.
By issuing that designation, farmers in affected counties can apply for help if they’ve experienced financial loss because of the late spring freeze.
Counties impacted include (West Alabama counties in bold):
- Direct impact:
- Baldwin County
- Cullman County
- Henry County
- Morgan County
- Blount County
- Elmore County
- Houston County
- Russell County
- Chilton County
- Escambia County
- Mobile County
- Tallapoosa County
- Clarke County
- Etowah County
- Montgomery County
- Washington County
- Contiguous counties:
- Autauga County
- Barbour County
- Bibb County
- Bullock County
- Calhoun County
- Chambers County
- Cherokee County
- Choctaw County
- Clay County
- Conecuh County
- Coosa County
- Covington County
- Crenshaw County
- Dale County
- Dallas County
- DeKalb County
- Geneva County
- Jefferson County
- Lawrence County
- Lee County
- Limestone County
- Lowndes County
- Macon County
- Madison County
- Marengo County
- Marshall County
- Monroe County
- Perry County
- Pike County
- Randolph County
- St. Clair County
- Shelby County
- Walker County
- Wilcox County
- Winston County
“Alabama’s farmers are vital to Alabamians and Americans alike,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement. “They put the food on our tables and are a center point of our economy. This much needed disaster designation will help these hardworking men and women recover from lost crops resulting from an unpredictable change of temperature. I know this will help a good deal, and I am certainly proud to have the backs of our farmers during this recovery process and always.”
Major crops affected include blueberries in Southwest Alabama and peaches in Central Alabama. Other crops that may be affected include strawberries and carrots.
You can learn more about USDA disaster declarations right here.
