Washington, DC—U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) announced today that 21 South Dakota counties have been designated disaster areas. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended emergency grazing on some Conservation Reservation Program acres until November 30, 2012. 

“With these designations, producers will be able access important assistance as they continue to battle the terrible drought conditions,” said Johnson. “By extending emergency grazing, producers will have crucial access to feed. I am pleased that the Administration is working hard to use tools available to help South Dakota farmers and ranchers.”

Counties designated today as primary disaster areas are: Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Corson, Faulk, Hand, Harding, Hughes, Hyde, Lake, Lyman, Mellette, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Perkins, Potter, Sanborn, Stanley, Sully and Ziebach.

Contiguous designated today as contiguous disaster areas are: Aurora, Beadle, Bennett, Brookings, Butte, Campbell, Charles Mix, Davison, Day, Dewey, Edmunds, Gregory, Haakon, Hanson, Jackson, Jerauld, Jones, Kingsbury, Lincoln, McCook, McPherson, Marshall, Meade, Pennington, Spink, Todd, Tripp, Turner and Walworth.

Under the designation announced by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, producers are eligible to apply for Farm Service Agency (FSA) Emergency Loans. FSA will take into account losses, security available and repayment ability.

More information can be found online at http://www.fsa.usda.gov. Producers should visit their local FSA office for assistance.

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