Recent Drought Results in Natural Disaster Area Designation for Maui County

The US Department of Agriculture has designated Maui County as a primary natural disaster area due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

File photo by Wendy Osher.

Farmers and ranchers in Kalawao County on Molokaʻi also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their county is contiguous.

The Natural Disaster Area designation was made on Friday, Oct. 27, 2017, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for FSA’s emergency loans, provided eligibility requirements are met.

Farmers have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses.

Other FSA programs that can provide assistance, but do not require a disaster declaration, include Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; the Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; and the Tree Assistance Program.

Interested farmers may contact their local USDA service centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online.