Farmers in Western Pennsylvania counties are eligible to apply for emergency loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which included the counties in a drought disaster declaration.

The secretarial natural disaster designation allows the USDA Farm Service Agency to extend emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts.

FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability. Fayette and Westmoreland counties are the primary counties eligible for relief, but Butler, Armstrong, Allegheny and several other counties are also eligible. Farmers should contact their local USDA Service Center for more information.