FRANKFORT, Ky. — Several Kentucky counties affected by the December 2021 storms that produced tornadoes and high winds in Western Kentucky are now eligible for low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Ryan Quarles recently announced.
“Both my office and I have been on the ground in western Kentucky and witnessed the historic and devastating destruction that hit the region last month,” Commissioner Quarles said. “Our farmers need funds and resources to maintain operations and rebuild. The low-interest loans offered by USDA may help some get back on their feet and regain some sense of normalcy.”
The low-interest loans offered by USDA are for physical losses and can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses. Examples of property commonly affected include essential farm buildings, fixtures to real estate, equipment, livestock, perennial crops, fruit and nut-bearing trees, and harvested or stored crops and hay.
USDA designated 24 Kentucky counties as primary eligibility areas for low-interest physical loss loans. They include:
Barren
- Boyle
- Breckinridge
- Caldwell
- Christian
- Edmonson
- Fulton
- Graves
- Grayson
- Green
- Hardin
- Hart
- Hickman
- Hopkins
- Logan
- Lyon
- Marion
- Marshall
- McLean
- Muhlenberg
- Ohio
- Spencer
- Taylor
- Warren
The USDA has also designated 29 counties as contiguous and also eligible. They include:
- Adair
- Allen
- Anderson
- Bullitt
- Butler
- Calloway
- Carlisle
- Casey
- Crittenden
- Daviess
- Garrard
- Hancock
- Henderson
- Jefferson
- LaRue
- Lincoln
- Livingston
- McCracken
- Meade
- Mercer
- Metcalfe
- Monroe
- Nelson
- Shelby
- Simpson
- Todd
- Trigg
- Washington
- Webster
On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.
The deadline to apply for the loans is Aug. 30, 2022.