Farm operators in 5 more Montana counties eligible for drought disaster loans

The U.S. Department of Agriculture designated five eastern Montana counties—Dawson, Richland, Roosevelt, Sheridan and Wibaux—as primary natural disaster areas due to drought on July 28, making farm operators in those counties eligible for emergency federal loans. Farm operators have eight months to apply for Farm Service Agency emergency loan assistance, with the agency evaluating each application based on production losses and the applicant's repayment ability. Farmers seeking assistance should contact their local FSA office for details.