Gov. Haley on S.C. Farmers Seeking Federal Disaster Loans: 'We're Going to Have Your Back'

HARLEYVILLE (DORCHESTER COUNTY) — Gov. Nikki Haley toured Pendarvis Farms Tuesday to survey the damage caused by excessive summer rains and show her support a request for a secretarial disaster designation from the United States Department of Agriculture.

All 46 counties in the state are seeking assistance — 36 of which have suffered more than 30 percent damages to crops, such as wheat, soybeans, cotton, forage crops, and peaches. The other 10 are making the request jointly, according to the governor's office. 

“The amount of rain this year has been disastrous for our farmers and the rain is impacting our economy as we speak. It’s times like these that we need to come together as a state and show the agribusiness community ‘we’re going to have your back,’” Haley said. “South Carolina farmers are the ultimate small business survivors — constantly fighting to bring food to our stores and earn a living. If there was ever a time that South Carolinians need to show support for local farmers, it’s now.”

The governor was joined by Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers, USDA Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Harry L. Ott, Jr,. and South Carolina Farm Bureau representative Larry McKenzie.

Excessive rainfall this summer has been widespread across the state in almost every county, damaging crops currently planted and preventing new crops from being planted, according to the governor's office.

The Farm Service Agency, under the USDA, administers four types of disaster designations, including secretarial disaster designation, which is most widely used. One-half to two-thirds of the counties in the United States have been designated as disaster areas in each of the past several years, even in years of record crop production.