Tuesday, Sep. 22, 2009

Drought aid OK'd for Stanislaus, neighboring counties

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has once again declared a drought disaster in Stanislaus and nearby counties.

The action, involving drought impacts since Jan. 1, allows affected farmers and ranchers to apply for low- interest loans and partial compensation for losses, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a letter last week to Gov. Schwarzenegger.

The declaration, announced Monday by Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, is one in a series by the Department of Agriculture during the three-year drought.

Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Merced and Mariposa are among the 21 counties declared primary areas of drought impact. Tuolumne and Calaveras also qualified because they are next to the primary counties.

In Stanislaus County, 2009 drought losses as of May totaled about $29 million, said Milton O'Haire, assistant agricultural commissioner for the county. This includes nearly $9 million worth of rangeland, $5.2 million worth of cattle on the range, $4.2 million worth of alfalfa, $2.4 million worth of beans and $8.1 million worth of tomatoes.

The total is a tiny fraction of the more than $2 billion in gross farm income to the county in recent years, but the losses can hit hard at affected farms and ranches.

More information on the disaster aid is at Farm Service Agency offices:

— Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties: USDA Service Center, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Suite E, Modesto, 491-9320

— Merced and Mariposa counties: USDA Service Center, 2135 Wardrobe Ave., Suite C, Merced, 722-4119

— San Joaquin and Calaveras counties: USDA Service Center, 3422 W. Hammer Lane, Suite C, Stockton, 472-7127

Bee staff writer John Holland can be reached at jholland@modbee.com or 578-2385.