The Farm Service Agency, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has announced that all five Rhode Island counties will be eligible for federal disaster assistance, in the wake of this spring’s heavy flooding.
“The remarkable flooding that occurred throughout the state earlier this year left many of Rhode Island’s farmers struggling to make it through the season,” said U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, responding to the USDA announcement. “This federal funding will provide much-needed assistance to these farmers and allow them to get back on their feet.”
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The disaster declaration gives local farmers eight months to apply for aid, in the form of low-interest emergency loans.
Reed had sent letters last month, to the USDA and the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Agriculture Subcommittee, requesting such assistance.
“Rhode Island experienced more than 16 inches of rain during the months of May and June, devastating local farms across the state,” those letters declared. “The heavy rainfall prevented planting, swamped fields, swept away seedlings and inhibited pollination.” They cited reports of losses ranging as high as 60 percent for corn and 70 percent for strawberries.
