By Mike Joseph

mjoseph@centredaily.com

WASHINGTON -- The federal government has designated Centre County and 53 other Pennsylvania counties drought disaster areas, making farmers eligible for financial assistance and low-interest loans.

U.S. Rep. John Peterson, R-Pleasantville, announced Friday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had approved the designation that could help farmers who have been hurt by this summer's drought.

"The disaster designation will provide much-needed relief to many farmers who have seen huge reductions and in some cases complete destruction of their crop harvest," Peterson said in a prepared statement.

John Ishler, president of the Centre County Farm Bureau, said perhaps one out of every 10 farmers is likely to apply for a low-interest loan, especially livestock farmers who have to buy feed because this year's drought devastated their feed crop.

This summer's combination of high heat and low rainfall dried up the soil. Ishler himself said last month that his own corn crop was down 50 percent this year. Centre County has more than 800 farms in all, including farms as small as 10 acres.

Ishler said low-interest loans, for which the federal government pays part of the interest expense, will help only a little. "That's not a real big boon," he said. "You still have to pay the money back."

Farmers in Centre and other counties who would like to apply for disaster assistance or who have questions should contact their local USDA office. Centre County farmers may call the USDA's Farm Service Agency's Bellefonte office, 355-2447.

Mike Joseph can be reached at 235-3910.