Placerville, CA – The U.S. Department of Agriculture granted a Secretarial disaster
designation to El Dorado County on February 29, 2016 due to the drought intensity levels
experienced for many weeks in the county.
Emergency farm loans for up to a maximum of $500,000 are available for both physical and
crop production losses as a direct result of the drought disaster. The loans are available to
farmers and ranchers who conduct family-sized farming operations.
Agriculturalists interested in these loans can contact the local Farm Service Agency (FSA)
office in Elk Grove at (916) 714-1104.
In addition, when an agricultural Secretarial disaster designation is granted, Economic Injury
Disaster Loans (EIDLs) of up to $2 million are available through the U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA). Businesses primarily engaged in farming or ranching are not eligible
for SBA disaster loans. Some of the businesses that may qualify for drought disaster EIDLs
are small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, private nonprofit organizations and other small
businesses that depend on farmers and ranchers or have been directly impacted from the
disaster.
Applicants may apply for a SBA loan online using the Electronic Loan Application at
https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Businesses can also e-mail the SBA’s Customer Service
Center at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or call (800) 659-2955 for disaster loan
information and application forms.
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