SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The severe weather of late-March and early April has resulted in another disaster declaration for this part of Illinois.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture says their federal counterparts at the U.S. Department of Ag have made four separate agricultural disaster declarations.
One that impacts this area is Fulton County. As a part of that, Peoria and Tazewell Counties are contiguous, so that means farmers in those counties, too, are eligible for emergency loans.
“Our Illinois farmers are resilient, facing uncertain weather conditions year after year,” said Jerry Costello II, Illinois Department of Agriculture Director, in a news release. “I want to thank Governor JB Pritzker for working with Secretary Vilsack and the USDA to ensure our farmers have the resources they need to come back after a natural disaster.”
The Farm Service Agency emergency loans are available through local USDA service centers, located in Edwards, Pekin, Eureka, and Galesburg in this area.
Officials say farmers who want assistance have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply.
AGRICULTURAL DISASTER DECLARATIONS
Designation 1: A tornado that occurred during March 31, 2023:
Primary Counties: Bureau, Clark & Crawford
Contiguous Counties: Coles, Henry, Lawrence, Putnam, Stark, Cumberland, Jasper, Lee, Richland, Whiteside, Edgar, LaSalle & Marshall
Designation Number 2: A tornado that occurred during April 4, 2023:
Primary County: Fulton
Contiguous Counties: Knox, Mason, Schuyler, Warren, McDonough, Peoria & Tazewell
Designation Number 3: Tornados and high winds that occurred during March 31, 2023, through April 5, 2023:
Primary Counties: Henry, Mercer, Rock Island & Sangamon
Contiguous Counties: Bureau, Knox, Menard, Stark, Cass, Logan, Montgomery, Warren, Christian, Macon, Morgan, Whiteside, Henderson & Macoupin
Designation Number 4: Drought
Primary County: Randolph
Contiguous Counties: Jackson, Monroe, Perry, St. Clair & Washington
(Source: Illinois Department of Agriculture/U.S. Department of Agriculture)
