Sec. Perdue issues statement on hurricane aid

Washington, D.C. -- Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today pledged all resources and flexibilities at USDA's disposal as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands recover from the devastation of recent hurricanes.

"Agriculture producers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands deserve the same resources under the USDA Farm Service Agency disaster programs as farmers, ranchers, and foresters in the states," Perdue said in a news release. "This includes compensation for livestock death and feed losses, risk coverage for specialty crops, and repair of damage to agricultural and private forest land. To this point, FEMA has been the lead agency for emergency search and rescue operations, but USDA is involved in providing food to storm victims and is ready to assess agricultural damage and assist producers when conditions on the islands allow."

For more information on FSA disaster assistance, click here.

Some available disaster assistance programs include the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) and the Emergency Loan Program.