Maryland Receives Federal Crop Disaster Designation for Eleven Counties due to Widespread Crop Losses Resulting from Excessive Rain  

ANNAPOLIS, MD – In response to Governor Larry Hogan’s letter requesting federal relief for Maryland farmers affected by this spring’s excessive rainfall, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has granted disaster designation for widespread crop losses in 11 counties.

“Our administration is committed to helping our hard-working farmers who were severely affected by record rainfall and widespread flooding, in most cases losing entire crops,” said Governor Hogan. “This funding will provide much-needed assistance and relief to Maryland’s farmers and bolster our vital agricultural sector, and we are pleased that our federal partners have granted our request.”

This designation allows farm operators in the four primary counties of Dorchester, Frederick, Somerset, and Wicomico plus seven contiguous counties—Caroline, Carroll, Howard, Montgomery, Talbot, Washington, and Worcester—to be considered for assistance from the USDA Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met. The designation also includes two counties in Pennsylvania (Adams, Franklin), two counties in Virginia (Accomack, Loudon) and Sussex County in Delaware. Farmers must have purchased crop insurance on eligible crops to quality for USDA disaster assistance programs.

This assistance includes USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loan assistance. FSA will consider each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses, security available, and repayment ability.

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