LANSING, Mich. — A series of unusual weather events last year could qualify farmers in 45 Michigan counties for emergency loans from the USDA. Gov. Rick Snyder announced last week 29 counties were designated primary natural disaster areas for weather including rain, wind, hail, snow, flooding, lightning and tornadoes that started in February 2011.

Ten counties received the designation for similar weather, drought and excessive heat starting at that time. Another six were designated primary natural disaster areas for drought and excessive heat starting in May 2011.

“Our farmers and producers experienced multiple severe weather conditions causing crop losses,” Snyder said. “This disaster designation ensures our farmers and producers have access to additional federal resources to overcome Mother Nature’s challenges and remain viable producers of food for both national and international markets.”

In Montcalm County, a late-season frost followed by excessive rain damaged some of the county’s apple crop, according to Wayne Stickler, county executive director of the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Montcalm and Isabella counties. He said if losses of 30 percent or more are confirmed by at least one producer in an area, a request for disaster designation may be made. The recommendation is made after careful review by a group of local agricultural experts.

“It’s a committee of resource people who work together to make an assessment on whether the level of damage would constitute designation,” he said.

The disaster designation simply means producers in the 45 counties are eligible to apply for low-interest emergency loans from the FSA, provided eligibility requirements are met. The current annual interest rate for emergency loans is 3.75 percent. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses.

“They still need to document that they are eligible for the loan,” Stickler said.

Farmers in Jackson County experienced hail, frost and freezing from April 15-19 that damaged fruit and vegetable crops, according to Tamela Smith, county executive director of the local FSA.

“Our vegetable and orchard growers were hardest hit, impacting anything that was in blossom or setting fruit,” she said. “It also delayed our first cutting of hay.”

Smith said that weather pattern gave way to excessive rain during May, which delayed planting of corn and soybeans. Then, near-drought conditions set into the area. “It affected our flowering crops at that time and pollination,” she said. “Eventually, it had an effect on yield.”

Farm visits during the growing season and following harvest, which were conducted by Smith and her staff, shed more insight on the extent of the damage for area growers.

“We have livestock and a diverse mix of cash crops in our area,” she said. “Losing some of our first-cutting hay crop was crucial for livestock producers. They depend on that first cutting to feed their animals when they are coming out of winter, and it’s before other crops begin to mature for feed.”

They also found the spring weather had residual effects on squash, peppers, sweet corn and other vegetables after harvest.

“Golf ball-size hail affected the apple crop and fruit that had started to set” when the storm hit, Smith said. While much of the fruit matured, it was not of the quality necessary for consumption.

Visit the FSA website at www.fsa. usda.org for more information on the federal emergency farm loan program and a complete list of the 45 counties included in this declaration.