Portions of Alabama are experiencing their worst drought in more than four years, and as a result, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated both DeKalb and Jackson counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas, making them eligible for assistance.

Cherokee, Etowah, Madison and Marshall county also qualify for assistance, because they’re contiguous to DeKalb and Jackson.

Other counties eligible due to the same designation include Chattooga, Dade and Walker, all in northwest Georgia and Franklin and Marion counties in south central Tennessee.

According to that USDA announcement, all qualified farm operators in the designated areas are eligible for low interest emergency loans from the USDA Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met.  Farmers in those eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses.

The Farm Service Agency will consider each loan application on its own merits – taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.

Click here for more information on USDA disaster assistance programs.

(al.com/www.al.com)