HARRISBURG, Ill. — For Roy Thomp-son’s 1,800 acres of corn and soybeans, nothing could be worse than a combination of the driest first six months of the year combined with searing temperatures.

It means the southern Illinois farmer is throwing in the towel on his 1,100 acres of corn and is keeping his fingers crossed on his beans – but he’s holding out little hope. “The long-range forecast is for more of the same, so I’ve already got the insurance process started,” said Thompson, a third-generation farmer. “I won’t get anything out of this (corn) crop.”

Regions in southern Illinois and Indiana, southeastern Missouri and western Kentucky have been hardest hit this year by extreme drought conditions, but more than half the nation has felt its effects. The USDA on July 11 declared a total of 1,016 counties throughout 26 states as natural disaster areas because of the drought – which covers a record area.

It means farmers in those areas, designated as those who have experienced severe drought conditions for eight consecutive weeks, now qualify for USDA low-interest loans. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack estimated the program could cost the federal government about $4 million, a figure he characterized as low because eventually the loans are repaid.

“We need to be cognizant of the fact that drought and weather conditions have severely impacted farmers around the country,” Vilsack said.

The designation triggers a lower rental payment on conservation set-aside lands that farmers and ranchers may now need to use for grazing, down to 10 from 25 percent. It also lowered loan rates from 3.75 to 2.25 percent. “By delivering lower interest rates on emergency loans and providing greater flexibility for haying and grazing on (Conservation Reserve Program) lands, we’re keeping more farmers in business and supporting our rural American communities through difficult times,” Vilsack said.

He used the designation announcement to urge federal lawmakers to pass a new farm bill prior to Sept. 30, when some elements of the current five-year law expire. The U.S. Senate passed its version of the bill earlier this month, and last week the House Agriculture Committee approved its version in a 15-hour marathon meeting.

First-term U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), a member of the House Ag panel, knows firsthand about this year’s drought. Her family farms about 2,000 acres.

“It breaks your heart to see what’s happening,” she said, adding current conditions explain why it’s vital to have access to crop insurance. “That’s why we have crop insurance, to help with these times.”

The USDA estimated that in 2011, insurance policies covered nearly 85 percent of all cropland in the United States. The disaster declaration covers counties in California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Delaware and Hawaii.

Most of that territory has been hit by drought; as of July 13, moderate to extreme drought had encompassed 53 percent of the Midwest, according to the National Weather Service. Also included in the designation were parts of the West and Southwest experiencing wildfires.

When looking at current conditions in the worst parts of Illinois, for instance, it’s understandable why growers like Thompson hold out little hope for the rest of this season. Long-range forecasts call for much of the same; little to no rain and higher-than-usual temperatures, said State Climatologist Jim Angel. “You’d need something like six inches to turn things around. A rain is just kind of a temporary fix right now,” he said. “We need several rains in a row, and several good-sized rains, to really turn this around.”