Nearly 220 counties
in a dozen drought-stricken states were added Wednesday to the U.S.
government's list of natural disaster areas as the nation's agriculture
chief unveiled new help for frustrated, cash-strapped farmers and
ranchers grappling with extreme dryness and heat.
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture's addition of the 218 counties means that more than half of
all U.S. counties — 1,584 in 32 states — have been designated primary
disaster areas this growing season, the vast majority of them mired in a
drought that's considered the worst in decades.
Counties in Arkansas, Georgia,
Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South
Dakota, Tennessee and Wyoming were included in Wednesday's announcement.
The USDA uses the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor to help decide which
counties to deem disaster areas, which makes farmers and ranchers
eligible for federal aid, including low-interest emergency loans.
To help ease the burden on the
nation's farms, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday opened up
3.8 million acres of conservation land for ranchers to use for haying
and grazing. Under that conservation program, farmers have been paid to
take land out of production to ward against erosion and create wildlife
habitat.
"The assistance announced today
will help U.S. livestock producers dealing with climbing feed prices,
critical shortages of hay and deteriorating pasturelands," Vilsack said.
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