Agricultural disaster delared in Southeast Missouri because of storms

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Several southeast Missouri counties have been declared agricultural disasters by the federal government because of September storms that swamped farm fields.

More than a foot of rain fell in some counties, destroying between 25 percent and 50 percent of the cotton crop and affecting corn and soybean crops.

The disaster declaration from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will make farmers in a dozen counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans.

An agriculture disaster was declared for Butler, Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot and Stoddard counties. Farmers in the bordering counties of Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Ripley, Scott and Wayne also will be eligible for disaster aid.

Perry County was the only one included in Gov. Matt Blunt's disaster request not to be granted disaster status by the federal government.

But Perry County was covered by a disaster declaration approved in October by the federal government because of prolonged drought. The drought disaster declaration directly covered 85 counties, plus 20 others next to the primary disaster counties.