U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns told Maryland Gov. Martin O?Malley Wednesday that by today he would be granting federal drought relief for Maryland farmers that O?Malley requested July 26, the governor?s office said. The designation makes Maryland farmers eligible for low-interest emergency loans from local branches of the USDA Farm Service Agency.
In statement, O?Malley said, “we estimate that farmers in Maryland have lost between 30 and 60 percent of their crop and we hope this disaster designation will provide some relief.”
Currently, 55 percent of the state is in a severe drought, according to data from the National Drought Mitigation Center.
