Shelby County was declared one of 48 Alabama counties eligible for disaster relief last week by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns.

The designation came following a request by Alabama Governor Bob Riley and Department of Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks for the state to be considered a primary natural disaster area due to drought.

&8220;High temperatures and lack of rain are taking a real toll on our farmers,&8221; Riley said. &8220;There&8217;s been a little rain lately, but drought conditions continue in many parts of the state. This step will provide some real help for our farmers.&8221;

Shelby County was eligible for the relief because it lies next to counties that have suffered losses due to the drought.

The designation makes farmers eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met.

The Shelby County area, on average sees 4.4 inches of rain in June. This year, however, the county saw a total of 1.7 inches of rain &8212; a 38 percent drop.

Farmers interested in seeing whether they are eligible for federal aid can log on to www.disaster.fsa.usda.gov for more information