Warren County farm operators would be eligible for aid following the county’s being included on a list of 20 Mississippi counties designated natural disaster areas due to flooding in May and June.

Loan interest emergency loans are available for farmers here and in Claiborne, Sharkey, Issaquena, Jefferson, Adams, Hinds, Copiah, Lincoln, Tate, Coahoma, Humphreys, Washington, Tunica, Wilkinson, DeSoto, Panola, Yazoo, Franklin and Quitman counties.

Natural disaster assistance also was made available for farmers in Madison, Tensas and East Carroll parishes in Louisiana and for Chicot, Crittenden, Lee and Phillips counties in Arkansas. Crop loss due to flooding between May 1 and June 30 are covered in a news release Thursday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The weekend of May 1-2 was one of severe weather in southeast Arkansas and north-central Mississippi, as the region experienced flooding and at least two tornadoes.

“President Obama and I understand these conditions caused severe damage to cotton, soybeans, wheat, pasture and forage crops, and we want to help,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a statement. “This action will provide help to hundreds of farmers who suffered significant production losses.”

Farmers would have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses.