By Blake Jackson
The United States Department of Agriculture has approved a natural disaster designation for several counties in Kentucky impacted by severe drought conditions, making emergency assistance available to eligible agricultural producers.
The designation allows the USDA’s Farm Service Agency to provide emergency loans to farmers recovering from drought-related losses.
These loans can help producers restore operations by replacing essential equipment or livestock, restructuring farm operations, or refinancing certain debts. Loan applications will be evaluated based on the extent of production losses, available collateral, and repayment capability.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the affected counties experienced either severe drought conditions for at least eight consecutive weeks or extreme to exceptional drought intensity during the growing season.
Primary counties included in the disaster designation are Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, and Marshall. Contiguous counties also eligible for assistance include Ballard, Livingston, Lyon, McCracken, and Trigg.
The disaster designation is listed as Triggering Disaster S6218: Drought (Fast-Track). Farmers seeking assistance must submit applications by January 4, 2027.
Producers are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center for additional information or to file a Notice of Loss.
Photo Credit: usda-farm-service-agency
Categories: Kentucky, Government & Policy