Farmers in 59 of the state’s 64 counties have qualified for federal disaster relief for losses due to heat, wind, insects, freeze and drought, Gov. Bill Owens announced Monday.
Under the designation, farmers who do not qualify for other credit and lose crops or equipment to weather or pests can qualify for low-interest loans of 3.75 percent for losses up to $500,000, said Jim Miller, policy director for the state Department of Agriculture.
Farmers can also postpone tax payments on livestock sold because of the drought.
Dan Hopkins, Owens’ spokesman, said a county’s “disaster designation” means “a great deal” to farmers.
“For some of them, they view the low-interest loans as one of their last chances to keep the farm,” Hopkins said.
Forty-five counties applied for and received disaster status, but federal rules also designate contiguous counties as disaster areas.
The five counties not yet designated are Garfield, Jackson, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Routt.
But, Hopkins said, Garfield and Rio Blanco applied for the designation Monday.
“It emphasizes that the drought is not over. It’s an ongoing problem, an ongoing situation that’s ultimately going to have to be addressed by such things as increased conservation and increased storage capacity,” he said.
It is possible that all 64 counties could eventually be designated as federal disaster areas this year, Hopkins said, for the first time since 2002.
However, at least some counties have applied for the designation every year since Owens took office in 1999, he said.
Chris Frates can be reached at cfrates@denverpost.com or 303-820-1633.
