La Fortaleza, Puerto Rico – September 2, 2026 — Governor of Puerto Rico Jenniffer González-Colón announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved an additional drought disaster declaration for Puerto Rico, designating three municipalities as primary disaster areas and 16 additional municipalities as contiguous areas.

The processes related to this request were carried out with the support of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) and in coordination with the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture, as part of Governor Jenniffer González-Colón’s Administration’s efforts before the federal government to address the impacts of the ongoing drought and ensure that affected farmers and agricultural producers have access to available federal resources.

This new federal designation builds on the declaration previously announced by the Governor on August 26 and brings to 38 the total number of distinct municipalities in Puerto Rico covered by federal drought-related disaster declarations. These designations allow eligible farmers and agricultural producers to access emergency loans and other assistance tools available through USDA and the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

In addition, the USDA drought disaster declaration makes Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) available through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to eligible small businesses and nonprofit organizations located in the designated municipalities. These loans are intended to assist entities experiencing economic hardship as a result of drought conditions and are subject to the eligibility requirements and criteria established by the SBA.

“We have just received notification that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved an additional drought disaster declaration for Puerto Rico, designating three primary municipalities and 16 contiguous municipalities. This action represents critical additional support for our farmers and agricultural producers who continue to face challenging conditions across our Island,” said Governor González-Colón.

The new declaration, issued by the federal agency, responds to conditions identified by the U.S. Drought Monitor, including areas that met the federal intensity and duration criteria required to activate this assistance mechanism.

The three municipalities designated as primary areas under this new declaration are: Barranquitas, Caguas, and Guayama.

The 16 municipalities designated as contiguous areas are: Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Arroyo, Cayey, Cidra, Coamo, Comerío, Corozal, Gurabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Salinas, San Juan, San Lorenzo, and Trujillo Alto.

The Governor noted that some municipalities included as contiguous areas under this new declaration were already covered by the federal designation previously announced. Nevertheless, the USDA’s new action expands the geographic scope of federal drought disaster declarations and the assistance tools available to Puerto Rico’s agricultural sector.

Under the previously announced federal declaration, 13 municipalities were designated as primary disaster areas:

Cabo Rojo, Coamo, Guánica, Guayanilla, Juana Díaz, Lajas, Peñuelas, Ponce, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San Germán, Santa Isabel, and Yauco.

In addition, 13 municipalities were designated as contiguous areas:

Adjuntas, Aibonito, Barranquitas, Cayey, Guayama, Hormigueros, Jayuya, Lares, Maricao, Mayagüez, Orocovis, Utuado, and Villalba.

With both declarations, 38 municipalities are included within areas covered by federal drought disaster designations.

“Since the beginning of this emergency, we have worked to ensure that Puerto Rico has access to every available federal tool and resource. This new declaration demonstrates that we continue to move in that direction, and we will continue identifying every opportunity for assistance to support our farmers and protect our productive capacity,” the Governor added.

The designation allows eligible agricultural producers in primary and contiguous areas to be considered for assistance through the USDA Farm Service Agency’s Emergency Loan Program, subject to the eligibility requirements and criteria established by the federal government.

Governor González Colón thanked U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and the USDA team for their prompt response and continued coordination with Puerto Rico.

“I thank Secretary Brooke Rollins and the entire USDA team for their swift response and for continuing to work alongside Puerto Rico throughout this emergency. Our priority is to ensure that every eligible farmer and agricultural producer is aware of the available tools and can access the resources they need to address the impacts of this drought,” said the Governor.

Governor González Colón reiterated that her Administration will continue working in coordination with the Trump Administration and Puerto Rico’s government agencies to ensure that producers are informed about available programs and the steps required to apply for assistance.

“We will continue using every available tool and strengthening our coordination with the federal government to respond to this emergency. Our farmers and agricultural producers are essential to Puerto Rico’s food security and economy, and we will continue working to ensure they have access to the support they need to sustain and recover their operations,” Governor González-Colón concluded.

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