[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated primary agricultural disasters in parts of Minnesota due to extreme drought conditions for more than eight consecutive weeks during the 2020 growing season.

“Extreme drought this growing season added stress and financial hardship during an already difficult time for the agricultural industry ,” said Governor Walz. “ Harsh weather conditions directly impact our farmers’ bottom line. These disaster declarations will provide some assistance to help them recover .”

Farmers in Jackson, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, and Rock counties are now eligible to apply for emergency loans through the USDA Farm Service Agency. Farmers in adjacent states, including 16 Iowa counties and three South Dakota counties, are also eligible to apply for disaster relief.

Additional information on USDA’s disaster assistance program, including county lists and maps, can be found at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov .