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Thompson Announces Disaster Loans to Warren & McKean Counties

June 16, 2009

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Glenn `GT’ Thompson, R-Howard, today received a copy of a letter from Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack, declaring that the counties of Warren and McKean fall under a disaster designation due to agricultural losses from excessive snow last winter.

The disaster designation came as the result of a letter from New York Governor David Paterson, who requested the designation for Cattaraugus County in New York. Vilsack extended the declaration to the contiguous counties of Alleghany, Chautauqua, Erie and Wyoming in New York, and the counties of Warren and McKean in Pennsylvania.

“Under this declaration, agricultural producers in our two Pennsylvania counties are eligible to be considered for Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE) that was approved as part of last year’s Farm Bill,” said Thompson.

The emergency loans are available right away but the Farm Service Agency is in the process of developing regulations and software for the SURE program that will be available later this year.

Applications for the emergency loans will be considered taking into account the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.
For more information call your local Farm Service Agency office in Harrisburg at 717-237-2157 or go to the Farm Service Agency national website at: www.fsa.usda.gov.

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