Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Emergency Loan Program

The Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Emergency Loan Program (formerly the Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program) has been established within the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to make low-interest or interest-free loans to agricultural and aquaculture producers who have experienced damage from a declared emergency.

Loans may be used to:

• Restore, repair or replace essential physical property, including fences, equipment, greenhouses and other buildings;

• Restock aquaculture; or

• Remove vegetative debris from the property. Any structure or building constructed using loan proceeds must comply with storm-hardening standards as defined in Section 604.50(2), Florida Statutes (F.S.).

• Applicants must own a bona fide farm operation on land classified as agricultural pursuant to Section 193.461, F.S., or lease sovereign submerged land pursuant to Section 597.010, F.S.

• The farm or aquaculture facility must be located in a qualifying county for the applicable declared emergency.

• Applicants must have experienced damage or destruction due to a qualifying disaster.

• If an applicant is not the owner of the property, please have the property owner complete the Authorized Representative Form before applying for a loan.

• Loan funds may only be used to restore, repair or replace essential physical property, remove vegetative debris from essential physical property, or restock aquaculture. A structure or building constructed using loan proceeds must comply with storm-hardening standards for nonresidential farm buildings as defined in Section 604.50(2), F.S.

• You must be at least 18 years old.

• Accepting funds under this program could render an applicant ineligible for financial assistance from other sources; applicants must not unlawfully duplicate assistance (including FEMA and USDA) and must disclose any recovery funds received from other sources.

• You must complete all sections and upload all required documents for your application to be considered complete.

• You can apply up to one year after the date of the declared emergency or until available loan funds are exhausted, whichever occurs first.

Note: As outlined in Florida Statute, an applicant may not receive more than one loan per application period, more than two loans within a 12-month period (based on the date of their first loan application), or more than five loans in any three-year period.

Low- or no-interest disaster recovery loan from FDACS, with a built-in partial-forgiveness structure.

• Maximum loan: "The maximum amount an applicant may receive during the application period for a loan is $500,000."

• Interest: the program makes "low-interest or interest-free loans" (the page does not publish a specific rate).

• Term: "Ten years."

• Payment deferral and 30% write-down: "FDACS shall defer payments for the first three years of the loan. After three years, FDACS shall reduce the principal balance annually through the end of the loan term such that the original principal balance is reduced by 30%. If the principal balance is repaid before the end of the 10th year, the applicant may not be required to pay more than 70% of the original principal balance." In practice you repay no more than 70% of what you borrow if you carry it to term.

• Window: "You can apply up to one year after the date of the declared emergency or until all available loan funds are exhausted, whichever occurs first."

• Frequency limits (statutory): no more than one loan per application period, no more than two loans within a 12-month period (from your first loan application date), and no more than five loans in any three-year period.

• No cost-share or match is published. Loan proceeds are restricted to restoring, repairing or replacing essential physical property, removing vegetative debris, or restocking aquaculture; anything you build must meet the storm-hardening standards in s. 604.50(2), F.S.

• Watch out: accepting these funds "could render an applicant ineligible to receive financial assistance for recovery from other sources," and you must not duplicate FEMA or USDA assistance and must disclose other recovery funds received.

Apply here