By IL Information Service
Springfield, IL – Farmers in 92 Illinois counties are eligible for federal disaster assistance because of excessive rain and flooding this year.
The state agriculture department says the U.S. Department of Agriculture has granted Illinois' request to designate 55 counties as natural disaster areas. That designation qualifies growers in those counties and 37 contiguous ones for USDA help, including low-interest emergency loans.
While many farmers are hoping for a record crop this year...State Department of Agriculture spokesperson Jeff Squibb says others will suffer losses from the unusually rainy summer.
According to current estimates, 200,000 acres of corn and 50,000 acres of soybeans could be unharvestable this fall due in part to the soggy conditions.
The 55 counties declared as primary disaster areas are:
Adams Cumberland Iroquois Madison Sangamon
Bond Edwards Jasper Marion Schuyler
Brown Effingham Jefferson Mason Scott
Calhoun Fayette Jersey McDonough Stark
Carroll Fulton Jo Daviess Menard Stephenson
Cass Greene Kankakee Mercer Vermilion
Christian Grundy Knox Montgomery Warren
Clark Hamilton Livingston Morgan Wayne
Clinton Hancock Logan Pike White
Cook Henderson Macon Randolph Will
Crawford Henry Macoupin Rock Island Winnebago
The 37 contiguous counties approved for disaster assistance include:
Boone Du Page La Salle Moultrie Shelby
Bureau Edgar Lake Ogle St. Clair
Champaign Ford Lawrence Peoria Tazewell
Clay Franklin Marshall Perry Wabash
Coles Gallatin McHenry Piatt Washington
De Kalb Jackson McLean Richland Whiteside
De Witt Kane Monroe Saline Woodford
Douglas Kendall
