FARMERS AND RANCHERS IN HIDALGO COUNTY ELIGIBLE FOR LOW-
INTEREST EMERGENCY LOANS
Contact: Cari Lambrecht
Hidalgo County Public Information Officer
cari.lambrecht@hidalgocountyjudge.com
Office: (956) 292-7026
Cell: (956) 720-5626
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 29, 2008
EDINBURG — Hidalgo County farmers and ranchers who sustained physical and production losses from
Hurricane Dolly are eligible to apply for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency
(FSA), announces Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas III.
“We received notification this week that our request for these loans was approved,” Judge Salinas said.
“Our farmers and ranchers — especially the cotton farmers — have sustained major losses. The loans are
meant to get these people, who for so long have been the backbone of the American economy, back on
their feet and back to producing the goods we consume on a daily basis.”
The damage to field crops resulted in an estimated 72.6 percent loss of upland cotton, a 24 percent loss of
grain sorghum and a 9 percent loss of yellow corn, totaling over $19.3 million in losses, according to a
report prepared by the Hidalgo County Farm Service Agency.
According to the USDA Presidential Major Disaster Declaration M1780, Brooks, Kenedy and Starr
counties were declared a major disaster based on damages and losses caused by Hurricane Dolly that
occurred from July 22, 2008 to Aug. 1, 2008. Hidalgo County, along with Duval, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells,
Kleberg, Willacy and Zapata counties, were named as contiguous disaster counties. Farm operations in
both primary and contiguous counties are eligible to be considered for low-interest emergency loans from
the Farm Service Agency. FSA will consider each loan application based on its own merits, taking into
account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.
The deadline to apply for the emergency loans is April 9, 2009. Farmers and ranchers in Hidalgo County
should contact Arnulfo Lerma at the Hidalgo County Farm Service Agency, (956) 381-0961 ext. 2.
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For more information, visit www.co.hidalgo.tx.us