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Gov. Jon Corzine Tuesday sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack asking him to issue a natural disaster designation for Burlington, Camden, Mercer, Ocean, Sussex and Warren Counties for damage incurred this growing season due to severe storms and a tornado.
"We must act swiftly to help the many farmers in the state who are suffering due to crop losses and extensive property damage caused by a tornado last month and various serious storms with high winds, significant hail and heavy rainfall throughout this season," Corzine wrote. "A disaster designation would make those farmers eligible for federal loans and other relief programs to help them rebuild and stay on their farms."
On July 29, a tornado touched down in Sussex County, damaging farm homes, barns, silos, crops and uprooting trees. In addition, since mid-April, rainstorms have caused problems for various crops
State Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher toured the tornado-damaged area Thursday.
"I saw that within a matter of just a few moments, a farm family's life was completely turned upside down due to Mother Nature," Fisher said.
The disaster designation request covers losses from April 15 to the present. Burlington, Camden, Mercer, Ocean, Sussex and Warren counties were included in the request after the U.S. Department of Agriculture's State Emergency Board reviewed loss assessment reports submitted by each county. Additional counties may be added as losses are identified.
The Secretarial Disaster Designation would make farm operators in the effected counties who suffered 30 percent or more on losses directly due to the harsh weather eligible to be considered for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Services Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met. The loans could cover up to 100 percent of the dollar value of the losses. Farmers in eligible counties would have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. The Farm Services Agency considers each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.
For more information, visit: disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
— TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
