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Program Description

FSA's Emergency Loan Program helps eligible farmers and ranchers rebuild and recover from sustained losses due to the following:

  • Natural disasters like a tornado, flood, or drought.
  • A quarantine imposed by the Secretary of Agriculture.

You may use Emergency loan funds to:

  • Restore or replace essential property.
  • Pay all or part of production costs for the disaster year.
  • Pay essential family living expenses.
  • Reorganize the farming operation.
  • Refinance certain debts.

You may borrow up to 100% of your actual production or physical losses, up to a maximum of $500,000. Production losses must exceed 30%; other terms and conditions apply.

General Program Requirements

You may get an emergency loan if you're a farmer or rancher who meets the conditions below:

  • You own or operate land in a county declared by the President or designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as a primary disaster or quarantine area. A disaster designation by the FSA administrator authorizes emergency loan assistance for physical losses only in the named and all adjoining counties.
  • You are an established family farm operator and have sufficient farming or ranching experience.
  • You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
  • You have at least a 30% loss in crop production or a physical loss to livestock, livestock products, real estate, or chattel property.
  • You have an acceptable credit history.
  • You are not able to get credit from commercial sources.
  • You can provide collateral to secure the loan.
  • You have repayment ability.

Other terms and conditions may apply.

Application Process

To apply for an emergency loan, you must submit all required documentation to your local USDA Service Center or FSA County Office.

Last Updated: 05/02/2023