Galveston County farmers and small business owners are eligible to apply for low-interest disaster loans thanks to action by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The USDA action was related to drought, above-normal temperatures and associated wildfires between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2009. Details on the loan program, announced by Gov. Rick Perry to Galveston County Judge Jim Yarbrough in early July, are available through the local Farm Service Agency serving the Galveston County area.
The farm service office, serving Galveston and Brazoria counties, can be reached at (979) 849-9385, Ext. 2. The office is physically located at 209 East Mulberry St. in Angleton.
The drought, above-normal temperatures and associated wildfires during 2009 also have triggered the availability of disaster assistance for small businesses from the SBA in the form of capital loans. Deadline to apply is Dec. 14, 2010.
The loans carry an interest rate of 4% with a maximum term of 30 years, and are restricted to small businesses that lack the financial ability to offset the adverse impact of the disaster without hardship. Interested business owners may contact the SBA at (800) 659-2955 or send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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