THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 10, 1996 TAG: 9602100284
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Short : 27 lines
A dispute over deadlines has stalled federal disaster loans for farmers in two Southeastern Virginia localities that suffered $19 million in crop losses from last summer's drought.
However, officials said Friday the problem should be solved next week, making low-interest loans available for planting this year's peanut, cotton and soybean crops. The delay has growers grumbling.
``I've got a good idea who to blame, but I'm not going to point any fingers,'' said Tommy Darden, who raises all three crops on 500 acres that he and his wife, Dee Dee, own south of Smithfield in Isle of Wight County. ``The state and federal offices should have kept this thing moving.''
``It's just been one snafu after another,'' said Dean Edwards, another Isle of Wight farmer with 1,000 acres. by CNB