WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Drought has withered grain across the Great Plains. Flooding drowned corn from Nebraska to Louisiana. And a tropical storm submerged Carolina tobacco fields and New Jersey blueberry bushes.
One agriculture official describes this as a "monster" year for natural disasters — yet few farmers are taking advantage of a federal loan program aimed at helping them recover.
An Associated Press review found that the Farm Service Agency made fewer than 300 emergency loans, totaling just $32.6 million, for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.
Some farmers say they aren't taking out the disaster loans because recent high crop prices gave them enough money to bounce back. Others say there are better aid programs available — and interest rates on emergency loans are higher than for regular farm loans.
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