MOULTRIE, Ga. — Hurricane Irma has caused severe damage in Colquitt County. Pecan producers suffering severe damage may be eligible for assistance under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) administered by the Colquitt Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Office if the damage:

• Will be so costly to rehabilitate that Federal assistance is or will be needed to return the land to productive agricultural use.

• Is unusual and is not the type that would recur frequently in the same area.

• Affects the productive capacity of the farmland.

• Will impair or endanger the land.

A producer qualifying for ECP assistance may receive cost-share levels not to exceed 75 percent of the eligible cost of restoration measures, according to a press release from the FSA. No producer is eligible for more than $200,000 cost sharing per natural disaster occurrence. The following types of measures may be eligible:

• Removing debris from farmland.

• Grading, shaping, or re-leveling severely damaged farmland.

• Restoring permanent fences.

• Restoring conservation structures and other similar installations.

Producers who have suffered a loss from a natural disaster may contact the local FSA County Office from Oct, 10, 2017 through Nov. 9, 2017.

To be eligible for assistance, practices must not be started until all of the following are met:

• An application for cost-share assistance has been filed

• The local FSA County Committee (COC) or its representative has conducted an onsite inspection of the damaged orchards

• The agency responsible for technical assistance, has made a needs determination for required rehabilitation.

For more information about ECP, please contact the Colquitt County FSA office at (229) 985-6509 or visit www.fsa.usda.gov.