Bredesen Requests Federal Farm Assistance for Nine More Counties

NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen has requested a federal designation of agricultural disaster for nine more counties to help Tennessee farmers who have suffered crop and livestock losses as a result of persistent drought conditions.

“A disaster designation for these counties will be important for getting much needed federal assistance in the hands of farmers to help them recover from this year’s drought, and to help them prepare for next year,” said Bredesen. “I’m pleased that USDA has acted on my earlier requests and I urge their consideration of these additional counties.”

Bredesen made the request this week in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer. The counties include Bedford, Cocke, Marshall, Maury, Moore, Putnam, Sevier, Van Buren and White.

Earlier this year, 39 counties were designated disaster areas by USDA due to drought and include:

Anderson, Benton, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Cannon, Carroll, Claiborne, Coffee, Fentress, Franklin, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hawkins, Henry, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lauderdale, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Polk, Rhea, Scott, Smith, Unicoi, Union, Warren, Washington, Weakley and Wilson.

Seven counties, including Carter, Cumberland, DeKalb, Loudon, Roane, Sullivan and Trousdale, were requested by Bredesen Nov. 6 and are pending USDA approval.

A disaster designation would make farmers in these and adjoining counties eligible to apply for assistance through their local USDA Farm Service Agency. Farmers are eligible to be considered for emergency loans, livestock assistance and supplemental farm payments as provided by the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008.

Farmers in these areas have suffered crop losses ranging from 30 to 65 percent. Livestock producers are reporting low hay stocks going into the winter months due to parched pastures and significantly reduced hay yields this summer and fall.

For livestock producers needing to buy or looking to sell hay, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and Tennessee Farm Bureau cooperatively manage the Tennessee Hay Directory. A listing of local and out-of-state sources of hay can be found at www.picktnproducts.org.