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Federal officials have designated four New Jersey counties as natural disaster areas due to severe drought conditions. The counties affected are Cape May, Atlantic, Cumberland, and Gloucester. This designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide emergency credit to farmers and producers impacted by the drought.
The disaster designation also extends to the contiguous counties of Burlington, Ocean, Camden, and Salem. According to the USDA, these areas experienced severe to exceptional drought conditions for eight or more consecutive weeks during the growing season.
The USDA Farm Service Agency will offer emergency loans to help farmers recover from the drought. These loans can be used for various recovery needs, including replacing essential items like equipment or livestock, reorganizing farming operations, or refinancing certain debts. The agency will review loan applications based on the extent of losses, available security, and repayment ability.
The application deadline for these emergency loans is December 8, 2025. For more information, affected farmers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Patch reported that the designation aims to provide much-needed support to those recovering from the drought's impact.