Farmers in a dozen Missouri counties could be eligible for emergency loans through the U.S. Agriculture Department for damage from severe spring weather.
Gov. Jay Nixon's office said Tuesday the federal agency has declared natural disasters for the counties because of severe storms, high winds and flooding.
The northern counties of Clark, Harrison, Mercer, Putnam, Schuyler, Scotland and Worth are eligible because they border primary disaster areas in Iowa hit by severe weather in the second half of April.
In eastern Missouri, five counties are eligible because they border primary disaster areas in Illinois that were affected by severe weather between April 16 and May 5. Those counties are Lincoln, Marion, Pike, Ralls and St. Charles.
Farmers should document losses or additional costs caused by the weather between those dates.
