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County Farmers Not Getting Federal Help

San Diego farmers who lost crops to the October wildfires are having a hard time qualifying for federal aid. KPBS reporter Ed Joyce has the story.

County Farmers Not Getting Federal Help

San Diego farmers who lost crops to the October wildfires are having a hard time qualifying for federal aid. KPBS reporter Ed Joyce has the story.

The executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau says most farmers can't qualify for low-interest emergency loans offered by government agencies.

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Eric Larson says to get those federal loans farmers first have to be rejected by at least two traditional lenders like banks, which offer higher rates. He says that's the problem.

Larson : Farmers in San Diego County even though they may have some real estate assets they could be cash poor after a disaster like the fire. But because of the real estate, a traditional lender will lend to them and so that makes them ineligible then for the disaster funding at a much lower interest rate.

Larson says California Senator Dianne Feinstein is working on ways to change the aid programs so farmers could qualify for the low-interest federal loans. He says county farmers suffered $42 million in crop losses because of the fires.

Ed Joyce, KPBS News.