Federal Drought Aid Expanded in Louisiana, Mississippi

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About 70 percent of Mississippi counties and Louisiana parishes – 57 of 82 counties and 45 of 64 parishes – are now eligible for drought disaster aid, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

The department has added 10 Mississippi counties to the list of primary drought disaster areas, bringing the total to 30. Another 25 are eligible because they’re next to one of those, and a 26th because it is next to a drought disaster parish in Louisiana, according to news releases.

Louisiana’s list now comprises 26 parishes that are primary drought disaster areas and 19 eligible as adjacent to a primary disaster area.

Winn Parish was added to Louisiana’s primary list, and Bienville and Jackson to contiguous parishes.

Parishes now eligible for aid:

Louisiana primary: Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Catahoula, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, LaSalle, Livingston, Madison, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Sabine, St. Helena, St. Landry, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Vernon, Washington, West Carroll, West Feliciana, Winn.
Louisiana contiguous: Acadia, Ascension, Bienville, Calcasieu, Caldwell, De Soto, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Richland, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Tammany, West Baton Rouge, Winn.

Farmers in those areas have eight months to apply for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency.

Other programs to help farmers and ranchers include the Livestock Forage Disaster Program, the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program, and the Tree Assistance Program.