The U.S. Agriculture Department has declared almost all of Nevada a natural disaster area because of losses caused by drought over the past year. The only Nevada counties not on the list are Nye and White Pine.

But USDA officials say farm operators in those counties qualify for disaster benefits too because they border the disaster counties. Gov. Jim Gibbons says Thursday the declaration is "great news" for the whole state, not just the agricultural communities.

Nevada farmers have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. The USDA's Farm Service Agency will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.

Interested farmers should contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures.

Additional information is also available online at the agency's Web site:

http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)