The United States Department of Agriculture has declared 88 Middle and South Georgia Counties eligible for disaster aid following months of too much rain. The designation makes farmers in those counties eligible for low-interest loans and cash payments. Starting in March some areas saw rain for days on end. The excessive moisture ruined many crops and made it impossible to plant others on time.
Clark Weaver is with the USDA's Farm Service Agency in Georgia. He says they will be determining eligibility based on what was in the ground at the time.
"The wheat crop was affected, and then of course you've got to look at tobacco. It was adversely affected and you've got multitudes of vegetable crops, anything from watermelon to cantaloupe. Those kinds of crops were affected too with just too much rain."
Weaver says two of the state's largest crops, cotton and peanuts, are not expected to suffer any major losses. The disaster declaration comes in response to Governor Sonny Perdue's request for federal help for farmers.

Tags: United States Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, Governor Sonny Perdue, Clark Weaver, Georgia farmers, federal disaster assistance, South georgia flooding