Sexy真人

For Immediate Release:聽
Friday, February 15, 2013聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽
Contact: Mike Drewniak
Kevin Roberts
609-777-2600

Trenton, Sexy真人 鈥� Governor Chris Christie today announced United States Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack has granted a Natural Disaster Designation for 14 New Jersey counties following Superstorm Sandy, a snowstorm, a Nor鈥檈aster, drought, high winds, hail, excessive heat and rain, and flash flooding between June 28 and November 8, 2012.

The disaster designation was requested to open up another avenue of relief to farmers who lost crops or suffered structural damages to their farms through the many severe weather events that befell the Garden State in 2012.聽The declaration includes Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Sussex and Warren Counties.

鈥淪uperstorm Sandy not only impacted our shoreline, but caused an immense amount of damage for our farmers, who already had suffered losses due to severe weather throughout the season,鈥� said Governor Christie.聽 鈥淲hile federal aid is already being provided through a variety of programs, now farmers will have additional federal agriculture disaster assistance to help them get back on their feet.鈥�

For counties to be designated as primary natural disaster areas, they must have sustained a 30 percent or greater production loss to a single crop due to the disaster.聽Nine counties were designated primary areas, while Mercer, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic and Warren counties were included as contiguous counties, still making them eligible to receive help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA).

鈥淲e are very thankful to Secretary Vilsack for giving our farmers the opportunity to access the USDA鈥檚 disaster relief programs,鈥� said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher. 鈥淚n spite of the many weather-related issues faced by agriculture in 2012, the season was an overall success.鈥澛�

The disaster designation makes farm operators eligible to be considered for assistance from Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met.聽This assistance includes Farm Service Agency emergency loans.

鈥淎lthough 2012 was a challenging year for many growers in a lot of ways, I鈥檓 excited we鈥檒l be able to offer this help to recover from their 2012 losses and get them ready for the 2013 season ,鈥� said Paul Hlubik, Executive Director of USDA鈥檚 Farm Service Agency in New Jersey.聽鈥淚鈥檓 grateful to Secretary Vilsack and the Christie Administration for their support as we sought this disaster designation.聽It will not only make farmers eligible for low-interest loans and restructuring, but extend the time for them to apply for assistance.鈥澛�

Farmers in eligible counties now have eight months from the date of the Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loan assistance.聽The loans could cover up to 100 percent of the dollar value of the losses.聽Farmers must have suffered a 30 percent loss in crop production or physical loss to livestock, inventory or property and meet FSA鈥檚 eligibility requirements.聽FSA considers each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.聽

Farmers are encouraged to contact their local FSA office for details.聽 To find a local office, visit .聽 For more information on FSA鈥檚 disaster assistance programs, visit .