
PROVIDENCE – After one of the rainiest Julys on record for the region, farmers in Rhode Island and eight other Northeastern states are eligible for expanded access to disaster assistance programs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The announcement comes after Providence saw its second-wettest July on record, according to the National Weather Service Boston, with 8.37 inches of rain recorded, compared to the historic average of 2.91 inches.
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With a resulting increase in flooding, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency this week announced they have relaxed requirements for several loans and disaster assistance resources.
That includes new flexibility in Farm Storage Facility Loans, which fund construction or upgrades to storage and handling facilities; and emergency hay and grazing supply through its Conservation Reserve Program.
Additionally, the USDA authorized deadline extensions for programs compensating for hive, feed and grazing loss; livestock deaths associated with weather events; and replanting or rehabilitating trees, bushes and vines lost to natural disasters. The federal department also waived a 72-hour notification requirement for its Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.
The USDA policy changes also apply to Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Last month also ranked in at least top three rainiest Julys for all southern New England climate sites, the NWS reported, with the National Centers for Environmental Information highlighting well-above average rainfall throughout most of the Northeast.
“The production and physical losses to flooding have devastated farmers and ranchers in the Northeast,” Robert Bonnie, under secretary for Farm Production and Conservation at the USDA, said in a statement.
The organization plans to continue working with farmers, officials and other stakeholders “and adapting our programs to fit their expressed needs where we have the authority to do so,” Bonnie added.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.