MERCER COUNTY, Ill. — Ongoing drought continues to plague farmers and landowners throughout the Midwest. To help, the United States Department of Agriculture is offering relief to qualifying farmers in several Illinois counties that experienced drought-related issues during the 2023 growing season.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has issued a disaster declaration for McDonough, Mercer, Fulton and Tazewell counties. While these are the primary natural disaster areas, qualifying landowners in contiguous counties could also be eligible.
Relief will come in the form of FSA emergency loan assistance. Farmers in eligible counties have until April 2024 to apply for the emergency loans.
Local FSA offices can provide landowners with more information. To find your local FSA office you can click here. If you need any help navigating these resources, you're encouraged to contact the Rock Island office of Congressman Eric Sorensen (D, IL-17) at 309-786-3406.
“Intense drought has hurt our farmers across Central and Northwestern Illinois, making it difficult to grow crops and support their families,” Sorensen said. “I am grateful to Secretary Vilsack for acting swiftly to help our state’s most impacted counties and I encourage all who quality to take advantage of these resources to support their farms and businesses.”
Congressman Sorensen joined The Current on News 8 to discuss these relief efforts as well as the future of disaster aid as the summer, fall and winter droughts get worse and spring flooding becomes more severe. You can watch his full interview in the above video.
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