Farmers in the Northern Shenandoah Valley who suffered losses during last summer's drought can seek federal aid, a state agency announced Friday.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated localities in the Northern Shenandoah Valley localities as primary disaster areas from excessive heat and drought last summer, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The counties of Clarke, Shenandoah and Warren and the city of Winchester received contiguous disaster declarations because they border primary disaster areas, the state agency announced in a news release.

The secretarial disaster designation allows farmers in both primary and contiguous counties eligible for consideration to receive assistance from the federal Farm Service Agency provided operators meet certain requirements, the release states. Aid includes FSA emergency loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payment Program, or SURE.

Farmers have eight months from the declaration date to apply for loan assistance. The FSA considers each application on its merits, taking into account the extent of production losses, security available and repayment ability, according to the release. SURE applications for 2011 losses will be accepted in 2012 when data on farm revenue become available, the release states.

-- Daily Staff Reports

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