As Drought Continues, Cape Cod Farmers Eligible For Emergency Loan

CAPE COD, MA — Severe drought conditions continue to affect Cape Cod. Water preservation efforts are in place to help conserve supply, and now, a government agency has stepped in to help another group hampered by the drought: farmers.

The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture announced on Thursday that drought conditions led to nine Massachusetts counties being declared as primary natural disaster areas, while three additional counties were declared contiguous disaster areas.

These declarations from the United State Department of Agriculture mean that farmers in twelve Massachusetts counties qualify for a USDA Farm Service Agency loan.

According to the FSA, the emergency loan program is triggered when a natural disaster is designated by the Secretary of Agriculture or a natural disaster or emergency is declared by the President under the Stafford Act. To qualify, farmers must record at least a 30 percent reduction in a primary crop or losses to quality, like receiving a 30 percent reduced price for damaged crops, officials said.

For more information on the program, click here.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, most of Barnstable County is facing severe drought conditions, though the southwest corner has risen to the level of extreme drought. This has triggered water restrictions for multiple towns in the county, including Falmouth.