Financial drought relief available to family farms, small businesses in Colusa County

Financial drought relief is now available to farmers and ranchers conducting family-sized farming operations, as well as small, nonfarming businesses, agricultural cooperatives and most private nonprofit organizations conducting business with growers as a result of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) disaster designation due to drought severity, which was approved in April.

“The drought situation in our county and state is dire, and we continue to work with our state and federal representatives and partners on both immediate and long-term solutions,” said Merced Corona, chair of the Colusa County Board of Supervisors.

“We encourage eligible residents to take advantage of this relief while we continue to advocate for a more sustainable approach and response to the ongoing drought crisis.”

According to a release issued by Colusa County

officials, the USDA is offering emergency farm loans of up to $500,000 for both physical and crop production losses as a direct result of the drought disaster.

More information about the USDA Emergency Farm Loans can be obtained by contacting the Colusa County

Farm Service Agency at 530-458-5131 or by visiting https://tinyurl. com/49cr5ywu.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is also offering economic injury disaster loans for small, non-farm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private

nonprofit organizations of any size. Small businesses include those that conduct business directly with growers, according to the release.

For more information about the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans, call 800-659-2955 or visit www.sba.gov/disaster.