The Secretary of Agriculture Designates 12 Parishes in Louisiana as Natural Disaster Areas Due to the Recent Drought

Triggering Secretarial Disaster Designation S6219

AGENCY: United States Department of Agriculture

A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in primary parishes and those areas contiguous to such primary parishes eligible to be considered for Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loan assistance, provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible areas have 8 months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans. FSA considers each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses on the farm and the security and repayment ability of the operator.

Local FSA offices can provide affected farmers with further information.

Impacted Area: Louisiana

Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast-Track) beginning April 14, 2026

Application Deadline: January 4, 2027

Primary Counties Eligible:

• Louisiana: Allen, Iberia, Morehouse, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, and Union Parishes

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

• Arkansas: Ashley, Chicot, and Union

• Louisiana: Ascension, Assumption, Beauregard, Caldwell, Claiborne, Evangeline, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Rapides, Richland, St. Martin, St. Mary, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, and West Carroll Parishes

• Mississippi: Hancock, and Pearl River

On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Loan Assistance Tool can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.

FEMA offers different assistance programs for individual citizens, public groups including government agencies and private nonprofit organizations. To find the FEMA help you need following a disaster event, visit fema.gov/assistance.