South Dakota Counties Get USDA Drought Aid

By Scout Nelson

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 18 South Dakota counties as natural disaster areas because of drought conditions. The designation allows eligible farmers and ranchers to seek emergency assistance through the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).

The affected counties are Beadle, Buffalo, Davison, Douglas, Hand, Hanson, Hutchinson, Jerauld, Jones, Lake, McCook, Mellette, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Sanborn, Todd, and Union.

The disaster designation is linked to drought conditions reported during the growing season. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the affected counties experienced either D2 drought, classified as severe drought, for at least eight consecutive weeks or D3 drought, classified as extreme drought, or D4 drought, classified as exceptional drought.

The USDA designation is designed to provide financial support to producers who face losses because of natural disasters. Through FSA emergency loans, eligible producers can receive credit to help restore their farming operations.

Emergency loans can support several types of recovery needs. Farmers may use the funds to replace important farm equipment or livestock that has been lost or damaged. The loans may also help producers reorganize their farming operations or refinance certain existing debts.

FSA reviews each emergency loan application based on several factors. These include the level of losses caused by the disaster, the security available to support the loan, and the producer's ability to repay the loan.

The disaster designation covers the 18 primary South Dakota counties. Other South Dakota counties that are next to the affected areas may also qualify for assistance under the designation. These contiguous South Dakota counties include Aurora, Bennett, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brule, Charles Mix, Clark, Clay, Faulk, Haakon, Hyde, Jackson, Kingsbury, Lincoln, Lyman, Spink, Stanley, Tripp, Turner, and Yankton.

Producers in eligible counties should review the emergency loan requirements and contact their local FSA office for information about applying. Farmers should provide the required information about their losses and farming operations as part of the application process.

The application deadline for this disaster designation is May 10, 2027. Eligible producers should check with FSA officials to confirm their eligibility and understand the documents needed before applying.

Photo Credit: usda