DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Farmers in five eastern Iowa counties are eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture after the agency designated the area a primary natural disaster due to June storms.
Excessive rain, high winds and hail caused damage on June 21 and 22 prompting the disaster declaration for Muscatine County. Adjacent counties including Cedar, Johnson, Louisa and Scott also qualify for disaster assistance.
The USDA says farmers and ranchers in Rock Island County in Illinois also qualify for assistance because their county is contiguous.
Farmers in eligible counties have eight months to apply for loans to help cover some of their actual losses.