JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Farmers in 27 Missouri counties will be eligible for federal aid because of drought conditions.

Gov. Jay Nixon says the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a disaster declaration for 14 counties that have suffered from extreme or exceptional drought. Farmers in 13 adjoining counties also can receive aid.

Nixon says farmers in some northern and central Missouri counties continued to struggle from drought even as many parts of Missouri received sufficient precipitation this year.

The designation allows farmers to receive emergency loans from the federal Farm Service Agency.

The 14 primary counties in the designation are Adair, Chariton, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Macon, Mercer, Putnam, Randolph, Saline, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby and Sullivan. The additional 13 counties are Audrain, Boone, Carroll, Cooper, Grundy, Harrison, Howard, Lafayette, Linn, Livingston, Marion, Monroe and Pettis.

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