USDA Announces Drought Aid for Nebraska

By Scout Nelson

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated nine Nebraska counties as natural disaster areas due to drought conditions. This designation enables the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to offer critical emergency credit through emergency loans for producers recovering natural disasters.

These loans can help cover recovery needs, including replacing essential items like equipment or livestock, reorganizing farming operations, or refinancing certain debts. The FSA will assess each loan based on losses, available security, and repayment ability.

“Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or refinance of certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.”

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the designated counties experienced severe drought conditions, either with a D2 Drought-Severe level lasting eight or more consecutive weeks or facing D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional conditions during the growing season.

The Nebraska counties now eligible for assistance include Adams, Buffalo, Clay, Hall, Hamilton, Howard, Kearney, Merrick, and Nance.

In addition to these primary counties, several contiguous counties in Nebraska also qualify for aid. These are Boone, Custer, Dawson, Fillmore, Franklin, Greeley, Harlan, Nuckolls, Phelps, Platte, Polk, Sherman, Webster, and York.

This natural disaster designation allows producers in the affected areas to apply for emergency loans, with the application deadline set for March 9, 2026.

With this support, USDA aims to assist producers in recovering the impacts of the severe drought. The financial relief offered through these emergency loans is expected to help stabilize farming operations and contribute to community resilience in the face of challenging weather conditions.

Photo Credit:usda