BOSTON (WHDH) - The USDA has announced that 14 counties in Massachusetts have been designated as primary natural disaster areas due to the continued drought impacting the region.
The designation means that farmers in the counties are eligible for low-interest emergency loans through the USDA.
Governor Charlie Baker says that the designation should help farm families get through a challenging season.
“Massachusetts’ agricultural sector, which includes many hardworking, family-owned farms, is an important component of the state’s economy, and it is essential that we work together to provide farmers with the assistance needed during this difficult time,” he said. “Coupled with the state’s Emergency Drought Loan Fund, the USDA’s Emergency Loans will help ease the adverse effects caused by this year’s drought conditions.”
The counties affected include:
- Barnstable
- Bristol
- Essex
- Franklin
- Hampden
- Hampshire
- Middlesex
- Norfolk
- Plymouth
- Suffolk
- Worcester
Additionally, Berkshire County, Dukes County, and Nantucket are covered as contiguous disaster counties.
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