RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared Craig, Frederick, Page and Surry counties as a primary disaster area because of damage caused by drought and excessive heat in 2011.

Prince George County received the designation because of damage caused by Hurricane Irene.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said Thursday that two dozen other localities bordering the primary disaster areas have been designated as contiguous disaster areas. Among them are Clarke, Shenandoah and Warren counties as well as the city of Winchester.

The designations make farmers in the localities eligible for federal aid.

Press release from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

The following areas received contiguous disaster declarations, meaning they border a locality named as a primary disaster area: the Counties of Alleghany, Botetourt, Charles City, Chesterfield, Clarke, Dinwiddie, Giles, Greene, Isle of Wight, James City, Madison, Montgomery, Rappahannock, Roanoke, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Southampton, Sussex and Warren and the Cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Newport News, Petersburg and Winchester.

Matthew J. Lohr, VDACS Commissioner, said, "I am grateful that the USDA has declared these areas eligible for federal assistance, and that other localities have been designated as contiguous disaster areas. These areas were very hard hit by drought, heat and a hurricane and any assistance farmers can get will be appreciated."

A federal Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in both primary and contiguous counties eligible to be considered for assistance from the federal Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. This assistance includes FSA emergency loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program known as SURE.

Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loan assistance. FSA will consider each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses, security available and repayment ability. SURE Program applications for 2011 crop losses will be accepted in 2012 when the 2011 farm revenue data required by law become available. Local FSA offices can provide farmers with additional information.

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