
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, August 10, 1993                   TAG: 9308100178
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

FARMERS TO GET SOME DROUGHT RELIEF

Some Southwest Virginia farmers will qualify for federal disaster assistance for dry-weather losses along with their counterparts in the flood-ravaged Midwest under a bill passed by Congress last week, Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, said Monday.

Farmers who lost more than 40 percent of their crop yields, whether to drought or flood, can be reimbursed for 65 percent of an established price for the commodity above the 40 percent, he said.

Boucher said the measure is similar to an insurance deductible, in that the farmer covers 40 percent of the loss but can get partial reimbursement for any amount over that. "Farmers in our region have experienced losses of tobacco, corn and hay ranging from 35 percent to 75 percent," he said.

In counties that have declared drought disasters, farmers will be eligible for low-interest Farmers Home Administration loans and emergency haying and grazing privileges administered through the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, he said. Farmers affected by the drought should consult their local ASCS offices to determine their eligibility. - Southwest bureau

by CNB