Governor Scott Walker has requested U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to issue a USDA Secretarial Disaster Designation for Rusk and Sawyer counties, where farmers suffered crop losses due to flooding earlier this year.
In a letter dated Nov. 29, the Governor noted the two counties experienced excessive rainfall and flooding beginning in early spring and continuing through September. Many fields remained under water or had over-saturated soil for extended times, leading to crop losses of 30 percent or more in corn, soybean, oat and wheat fields.
Agricultural disaster declarations may make farmers eligible for low-interest loans and other forms of aid that Congress makes available. The declarations also may extend to adjacent counties.
