The state of Louisiana has declared a disaster amid a crawfish shortage caused by extreme drought conditions. Governor Jeff Landry issued a disaster declaration earlier this month, citing the impact of drought on the crawfish aquaculture industry. The drought has affected 365,000 acres used by the Louisiana crawfish industry, leading to shortages and potential losses of nearly $140 million. In response, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest federal disaster loans to crawfish businesses in the state. The SBA encourages affected businesses to reach out to its Virtual Business Recovery Center for more information on federal disaster loans. Additionally, small non-farm businesses and small agricultural cooperatives may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster loans of up to $2 million. U.S. Representative Clay Higgins has called on the state to seek federal aid for crawfish harvesters and praised Governor Landry's declaration. [68fcdc35]
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a "natural disaster" declaration for Somerset and Bedford counties in Pennsylvania, enabling local farmers to offset crop losses through emergency loans. Farmers in neighboring counties, including Cambria, can also seek short-term loans and other relief. Somerset County has been experiencing severe to extreme drought conditions for eight weeks, the worst since 1988. The declaration allows farmers to access Farm Service Agency Emergency Loan Assistance and federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Contiguous counties, such as Cambria, Blair, and Westmoreland, can also apply for relief. The drought has led to a shortage of hay, silage, and other vital feed, driving up demand and prices. The declaration's timing is seen as beneficial for farmers in need of assistance. [f640c97b]