Gibson County is among more than 1,000 counties across the country designated as disaster areas due to the worsening drought.  U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the announcement this week.

He also revealed a package of program improvements that will deliver faster and more flexible assistance to farmers and ranchers devastated by natural disasters.  One involves a reducton in the processing time for counties afected by the drought, another lowers the interest rate for emergency loans ( 2.25 percent) and the third is a payment  reduction on Conservation Reserve Program lands qualified for emergency haying and grazing in 2012, from 25 to 10 percent.

"Agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation's economy and it is increasingly important that USDA has the tools to act quickly and deliver assistance to farmers and ranchers when they need it most," said Vilsack.

Dry conditions continue across southwest Indiana and the latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows Vanderburgh, Gibson, Pike and Posey Counties under 'extreme' drought conditions.

The drought monitor combines numeric measures of drought and experts' best judgment into a weekly map. It is produced by the NDMC, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and incorporates review from 300 climatologists, extension agents and others across the nation.