U.S. Agriculture Secretary Perdue approves designation of 18 Iowa counties as natural disaster areas

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue declared 18 Iowa counties natural disaster areas Thursday, making farmers eligible for federal assistance in the wake of the effects of COVID-19 and the Aug. 10 derecho.

Perdue also toured damaged Iowa farmland Thursday to assess the extent of the impact.

Thursday's Secretarial Derecho Disaster Declaration lists Benton, Boone, Cedar, Clinton, Dallas, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hardin, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story and Tama as primary disaster areas.

Twenty-four contiguous counties are also eligible for disaster relief programs including Adair, Audubon, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Butler, Carroll, Cass, Delaware, Dubuque, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Iowa, Jackson, Keokuk, Louisa, Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Muscatine, Warren, Washington, Webster and Wright.

The declaration makes farm operators in primary and contiguous counties eligible for assistance programs provided by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Farmers and landowners can learn more about the USDA disaster assistance programs, by visiting farmers.gov/recover or contacting their local USDA Service Center.