Tweet Post to Your Wall.

Drought Disaster Claims 44 More Counties

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Wednesday a plan to utilize nearly $16 million in financial and technical assistance to immediately help crop and livestock producers in 19 states cope with the adverse impacts of the historic drought. In addition, USDA will initiate a transfer of $14 million in unobligated program funds into the Emergency Conservation Program. These funds can be used to assist in moving water to livestock in need, providing emergency forage for livestock, and rehabilitating lands severely impacted by the drought. Together these efforts should provide nearly $30 million to producers struggling with drought conditions.

"This additional assistance builds on a number of steps USDA has taken over the past few weeks to provide resources and flexibility in our existing programs to help producers endure these serious hardships," Vilsack said.

With the USDA announcement highlighted Wednesday, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service will use $16 million in existing funds from its Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program to target states experiencing exceptional and extreme drought.

NRCS state conservationists will announce special signups for WHIP and EQIP funds which will allow eligible producers to apply for selected conservation practices. These practices include prescribed grazing, livestock watering facilities and water conservation practices. Eligible producers also can re-apply for financial assistance to re-install or re-apply failed conservation practices due to drought and modify existing contracts to re-schedule planned conservation practices.

In addition, USDA's Farm Service Agency will transfer $14 million in unobligated program funds into the Emergency Conservation Program. ECP provides emergency funding and technical assistance for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters and for carrying out emergency water conservation measures in periods of severe drought. ECP also provides resources to help producers restore livestock fences.

Vilsack also signed disaster designations for an additional 44 counties in 12 states as primary natural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by drought and excessive heat. During the 2012 crop year, USDA has designated1,496 counties as disaster areas due to drought—making all qualified farm operators in the areas eligible for low-interest emergency loans.

The U.S. Drought Monitor indicates that 66 percent of the nation's hay acreage is in an area experiencing drought, while approximately 73 percent of the nation's cattle acreage is in an area experiencing drought. During the week ending Aug. 5, USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that U.S. soybeans rated 39 percent very poor to poor, surpassing the lowest conditions observed during the drought of 1988. NASS also reported that 50 percent of the U.S. corn crop was rated very poor to poor. In addition, 59 percent of the nation's pastures and rangeland are rated very poor or poor.

Primary counties and corresponding states designated as disaster areas Wednesday:

Arkansas: Lincoln

Iowa: Lyon, Plymouth, Sioux, Woodbury

Illinois: Lake, McHenry

Kansas: Cherokee, Clay, Cloud, Jewell, Pottawatomie, Republic, Riley, Washington

Kentucky: Breckinridge, Grayson

Minnesota: Rock

Mississippi: Coahoma

Nebraska: Adams, Boyd, Burt, Butler, Clay, Colfax

Cuming, Dakota, Dodge, Hamilton, Polk, Saunders, Thurston, Webster, York

New Mexico:Sandoval

Ohio: Williams

Oklahoma: Cleveland, Lincoln, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Seminole

South Dakota: Minnehaha