The USDA has granted Illinois’ request to designate 55 counties as natural disaster areas because of excessive rain and flooding that has caused crop losses this year. Farmers in those counties and another 37 surrounding counties may apply for USDA assistance including low-interest emergency loans. Illinois Ag Department Director Tom Jennings says while the USDA’s overall forecast for Illinois corn and soybeans shows near-record yields, there are farmers that have suffered production losses due to excessive rain this spring and summer. Jennings says the assistance can help farmers who don’t have a crop to harvest this fall pay their production costs, as well as “refinance existing debt and cover essential family living expenses.”
Illinois had over 21 and a half inches of rain from April through July this year, the fourth wettest for that period in the state’s record books.
List of disaster declared counties in Illinois
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