WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of Agricultural (USDA) Wednesday designated 44 additional counties in twelve states as primary natural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by drought and excessive heat.
During the 2012 crop year, 1,628 counties across 33 states had been designated as disaster areas -- 1,496 due to drought, said U. S. Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack in a statement, adding that it made them eligible for assistance like low interest emergency loans.
The severe drought disasters sweeping from California to upstate New York have caused significant crop damage to many crops including corn, soybeans, pastures and rangeland, which is threatening the agricultural harvest in the world's largest producer of grains and meat.
Sixty-six percent of the nation's hay acreage and 73 percent of the cattle acreage are in an area experiencing drought, said Vilsack, quoting the U.S. Drought Monitor.
To help crop and livestock producers in 19 states cope with the adverse impacts of the historic drought, USDA will utilize nearly 16 million U.S. dollars in financial and technical assistance, the department's chief announced.
Last week, the USDA announced the expansion of emergency haying and grazing on about 3.8 million acres of conservation land. Crop insurance companies also had agreed to provide a 30-day grace period for farmers on insurance premiums in 2012.
However, many analysts pointed out that any relief could not stop the U.S. and global food prices from moving higher.
