NEW JERSEY — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated seven New Jersey counties as natural disaster areas because of an ongoing drought, making eligible farmers and agricultural producers able to apply for federal emergency loans.
The USDA secretarial natural disaster designation covers drought conditions that began May 12, 2026, and are ongoing.
Mercer and Monmouth counties were designated as primary natural disaster areas.
Five New Jersey counties — Burlington, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Ocean and Somerset — are also eligible because they are contiguous to the primary counties.
The designation also includes Richmond County in New York and Bucks County in Pennsylvania as contiguous counties.
Through the USDA Farm Service Agency, eligible producers in the designated counties may apply for emergency loans to help recover from losses associated with the drought.
Emergency loan funds can be used for several recovery needs, including replacing essential equipment or livestock, reorganizing a farming operation or refinancing certain debts.
The Farm Service Agency will review loan applications based on factors including the extent of the producer’s losses, available security and ability to repay.
The application deadline is April 13, 2027.
Farmers and producers can find information about available disaster assistance and loan programs through farmers.gov or contact their local USDA Service Center for assistance.
