Farmers and ranchers in Zavala County, who suffered losses and damages due to a recent drought, may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans. The loans are made available under the authority of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

Farmers and ranchers in the contiguous Texas counties of Dimmit, Frio, Kinney, Maverick, Medina and Uvalde are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

The deadline to apply for emergency loans to help cover part of the actual losses for farmers and ranchers in all designated primary and contiguous counties is March 18, 2019.

FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs in addition to the emergency loan program to help eligible farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster.

Other FSA programs that can provide assistance but may not require a disaster declaration include: Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; the Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; and the Tree Assistance Program.

Interested farmers may contact their local USDA service centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs.

Additional information is also available online at https://www.farmers.gov/recover.