New York, New York – August 26, 2026 — Governor of Puerto Rico Jenniffer González-Colón today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved a Drought Disaster Declaration for Puerto Rico. The formal request was submitted on August 10 to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, seeking activation of the Fast-Track process for municipalities that met federal criteria. The request was advanced with the support of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) as part of the Administration’s efforts with the federal government to address the impacts of the drought.

The federal action represents an important step toward allowing farmers and agricultural producers affected by severe and prolonged drought conditions to access additional USDA and Farm Service Agency (FSA) assistance programs for which they may be eligible.

“From the very beginning, we made clear the urgent needs of our farmers. That is why we went directly to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to request swift federal action that would activate the tools available to our producers. Today, those efforts are yielding results. I thank Secretary Brooke Rollins for responding to our request and recognizing the severity of the conditions facing Puerto Rico, as well as several states across the nation,” said Governor González-Colón.

The Governor had requested that USDA and FSA review U.S. Drought Monitor data to identify all municipalities that met federal drought intensity and duration criteria and proceed with the corresponding expedited designation. In her communication, she also requested that municipalities that had already reached the federal thresholds be designated without waiting for agricultural loss calculations to be completed, given that the damage was continuing to evolve.

USDA’s Fast-Track process allows for an expedited disaster designation when, during the growing season, a portion of a jurisdiction reaches D2 – Severe Drought for eight consecutive weeks, or reaches D3 – Extreme Drought or D4 – Exceptional Drought at any time.

As a result of the federal declaration, 26 municipalities in Puerto Rico have been designated: 13 primary municipalities and 13 contiguous municipalities.

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

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

The federal declaration will allow eligible agricultural producers to access emergency loan programs, including the Emergency Loan Program. These loans may help cover the cost of replacing essential property, production expenses, refinancing certain debts, and other eligible expenses.

In addition, the FSA administers other programs that may be available to eligible farmers affected by the drought, including the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), and Tree Assistance Program (TAP), among others, subject to applicable federal eligibility requirements.

“This declaration provides an additional tool for our farmers at a time when they are facing difficult conditions. We will continue working closely with USDA so that our producers understand the programs available to them, the eligibility requirements, and the steps they must take to apply for the appropriate assistance,” said the Governor.

Puerto Rico Secretary of Agriculture Agro. Irving Rodríguez Torres emphasized that the federal declaration helps move the assistance process forward and urged farmers to take the necessary steps to be prepared.

“This is an important step for our farmers. We encourage all producers affected by the drought to document their losses, maintain evidence of the damage, and verify their information and registration with the Farm Service Agency. The better prepared our farmers are, the more efficiently the process can move forward once their eligibility for the applicable programs is determined,” Rodríguez Torres said.

The Secretary explained that producers should retain photographs and other documentation of the damage or impacts experienced by their operations, including reduced production, deterioration of pasture and forage, water availability issues, impacts to crops and livestock, irrigation systems, and other drought-related costs or losses.

He also encouraged farmers who are not yet registered with FSA to contact the agency to verify their status and complete any outstanding requirements.

The approval of the federal declaration builds on measures already taken by the Government of Puerto Rico in response to the drought. On July 31, the Governor declared a state of emergency across Puerto Rico due to severe drought conditions and authorized extraordinary measures to address the emergency and mobilize resources.

The drought poses a direct threat to agricultural production, livestock operations, pasture and forage availability, agricultural water supplies, irrigation systems, and producers’ income. The Governor has also highlighted its potential impact on Puerto Rico’s food security and agricultural productive capacity.

“We will continue using every available tool to protect our farmers and preserve Puerto Rico’s agricultural production. Given the drought conditions facing our Island, it is essential that our producers have the resources they need to mitigate losses and sustain their operations. We encourage eligible farmers to learn about and take advantage of the assistance programs available to them,” Governor González-Colón concluded.

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