Congressman Gonzalez Announces USDA Disaster Designation for Hidalgo, Duval, Brooks, Jim Hogg, and Live Oak Counties

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack approved a secretarial disaster area designation on March 1, 2021 for the following counties in the 15th District of Texas: Hidalgo and Duval, primary; and contiguous, Brooks, Jim Hogg, and Live Oak. With this designation, those affected by the recent winter weather are qualified to be considered for Farm Service Agency (FSA) assistance, including loans.

"I thank Secretary Vilsack for issuing a disaster designation in response to the devastating winter weather conditions in Central and South Texas. I hope that in the coming days we will see additional counties added across the state of Texas," said Congressman Gonzalez. "These designations will help communities rebuild their economies with much needed federal aid. I encourage those in the 15th District of Texas affected by the winter weather to take advantage of available federal resources and to contact my office for any assistance."

Congressman Gonzalez previously sent a bipartisan letter to the USDA Secretary urging him to issue a secretarial disaster designation for the entire state of Texas. Secretary Vilsack's disaster designation letter can be found here.

A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in primary counties and those counties contiguous to such primary counties eligible to be considered for certain assistance from the FSA. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans.

For more information on USDA disaster updates, click here.

Information for the local USDA Farm Service Agency Offices below:

LIVE OAK-MCMULLEN COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY
200 E BOWIE ST STE C
GEORGE WEST, TX 78022
(361) 449-2241 ext. 2 (Voice)
(844) 496-7086 (Fax)

DUVAL COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY
141 W MAIN
BENAVIDES, TX 78341-0509
(361) 256-3342 ext. 2 (Voice)
(844) 496-7092 (Fax)

BROOKS-JIM HOGG COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY
123 COUNTY ROAD 205
FALFURRIAS, TX 78355
(361) 325-2272 ext 2

DUVAL COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY
141 W. Main
Benavides, Texas 78341-0509
Phone: (361) 256-3342 ext. 2
Fax (844) 496-7092

HIDALGO COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY
2514 S Veteran BLVD
EDINBURG, TX 78539-7026
(956) 381-0916 ext 2

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