BARBOUR COUNTY, Ala. (WDNews) – Farmers in Barbour County are now eligible for federal disaster assistance after the U.S. Department of Agriculture designated 25 Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas and listed 14 more, including Barbour, as contiguous disaster counties.
The designation follows excessive rainfall between May 1 and June 30, 2025, which caused widespread planting delays and crop losses across much of the state.
“The excessive rain during this year’s planting season impacted over half of Alabama’s counties, causing delays or preventing planting altogether,” said Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate. “We recognize the hardships our farmers have faced with the late spring flooding and now the current drought. We encourage them to reach out to their local USDA offices to explore available funding and support.”
With this designation, farm operators in Barbour County may be considered for Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loan assistance, provided they meet eligibility requirements. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration, Sept. 15, 2025, to apply. Each application will be reviewed based on production losses, repayment ability, and other factors.
Farmers can learn more about available options by visiting www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs or finding their local USDA Service Center at www.farmers.gov/working-with-us/service-center-locator.
