The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated 156 Texas counties as primary natural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by drought since Jan. 1, 2014.
Although much of the Lone Star State has received moisture in the form of ice, snow and rain, it hasn’t been significant enough to turn things around, according to San Angelo Standard-Times.
Drought conditions during December improved marginally with 28.68 percent of the contiguous U.S. in drought on Dec. 30, compared with 28.91 percent on Nov. 25, with a peak of 30.05 percent on Dec. 16, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska.
For farmers and ranchers living in counties declared natural disaster areas due to drought, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers low-interest emergency loans, provided eligibility requirements are met.
For additional information, visit your local FSA office or go online at fsa.usda.gov.