Cherokee County included in disaster designation for 5th District counties

WASHINGTON - The Secretary of Agriculture has issued a Secretarial Disaster Designation for 13 South Carolina Fifth District counties that have been hit by severe drought. The designation makes farmers who have suffered crop losses eligible to apply for low-interest emergency loans.

The secretary issued a disaster declaration for Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Fairfield, Florence, Kershaw, Lancaster, Marlboro, Newberry, Sumter and York. In addition, the secretary named Lee County as a contiguous disaster county, making farmers there eligible to apply for similar benefits.

Farmers who think they qualify for benefits should contact their local Farm Service Agency.