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Governor seeks disaster designations due to freeze69 counties meet crop loss threshold Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has requested a federal agricultural disaster designation for every county that met the 30 percent crop production loss threshold because of an early April freeze that damaged wheat and alfalfa crops statewide. With a U.S. Department of Agriculture secretarial disaster declaration, farmers and ranchers will be eligible for emergency low-interest loans to cover up to 100 percent of actual production and physical losses. "Freeze damage to wheat and alfalfa was fairly widespread, impacting 69 of Kansas' 105 counties," Sebelius said. "Getting the disaster designations for these counties will ensure farmers are eligible for low-interest loans should they need them." The State Emergency Board, which includes representatives from USDA's Farm Service Agency, K-State University Research and Extension, Kansas Agricultural Statistics and the Kansas Department of Agriculture, met on May 24 to discuss freeze damage reports. "Kansas had its second warmest March on record, which caused crops to develop a little ahead of schedule, making them more susceptible to damage when temperatures dropped into the teens between April 4 and 10," said Secretary of Agriculture Adrian Polansky. Kansas leads the nation in wheat producers and ranks eighth in alfalfa production. Roughly one-third of Kansas' 63,000 farmers grow wheat. Sebelius requested the designation in a letter sent June 4 to Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns. Date: 7/5/07
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