07/13/15  Arkansas Counties Seek Help From The Feds

Nearly half the counties named in letters from Gov. Asa Hutchinson seeking help for farmers with flooded fields and lost crops failed to make the cut when federal officials issued a presidential disaster declaration June 26^th. On June 8^th, the governor asked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to declare 37 counties agricultural disaster areas so producers could qualify for help such as low-interest agricultural loans.  On June 18^th, the governor added four more counties to the list. On Friday, Arkansas Ag Secretary Wes Ward said he was unaware that several of the counties identified in the letters had yet to be identified for agricultural aid.Those counties declared federal disaster areas in South Arkansas include Jefferson County, Dallas County, Ouachita County and Clark County. Columbia County is one of those waiting an ag-disaster area designation.