Governor Mike Beebe has received word from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack that more Arkansas farmers will now be eligible to apply for emergency low-interest loans from the federal government.

The USDA issued a new Secretarial disaster declaration related to October flooding and confirmed that a previous declaration issued in June remains in effect.

The cumulative effect of the declarations is that farmers in 60 counties may now pursue these federal loans if they are eligible. Six of these counties are now included for the first time:  Johnson, Logan, Newton, Ouachita, Scott and Searcy Counties.

Eligibility continues for farmers in 54 other counties, including Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clark, Cleburne, Cleveland, Columbia, Conway, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Faulkner, Garland, Grant, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, Little River, Lonoke, Miller, Monroe, Mississippi, Montgomery, Nevada, Perry, Phillips, Pike, Poinsett, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, St. Francis, Saline, Sevier, Sharp, Stone, Union, Van Buren, White, Woodruff and Yell Counties.

Farmers who have suffered recent crop damage in those counties should contact their local U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center about their eligibility.  Information about those centers can be found on the Farm Service Agency's website (click here ).