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USDA declares much of the wheat belt a disaster area

With the first disaster declaration of 2013, USDA has declared much of the central and southern Wheat Belt a natural disaster area as the continuing drought threatens the winter wheat crop.  In all, 597 counties in 14 states from Texas to North Dakota are in the designated area including most of the four major wheat-growing states; Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas.

The 597 primary counties designated as disaster areas by state: Alabama, 14; Arkansas, 47; Arizona, 4; Colorado, 30; Georgia, 92; Hawaii, 2; Kansas, 88; Oklahoma, 76; Missouri, 31; New Mexico, 19; Nevada, 9; South Carolina, 11; Texas, 157; and Utah, 17. For more information about the specific state designations, visit the Farm Service Agency’s disaster designations page.

A natural disaster designation makes all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency loans.