WASHINGTON — The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture has issued a disaster declaration for Hawai'i County, O'ahu and Maui because of the rainstorms and flooding that have drenched the state since Nov. 27, 2007, a news release said.

The secretary's designation means that local farmers who suffered crop losses will be eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the U.S. Farm Service Agency if they are able to meet eligibility requirements, according to the release, from U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye's office.

"Natural disasters are unpredictable and unexpected. Plans to cope with their impact and aftermath are difficult for any farmer to formulate," Inouye said in the statement. "FSA emergency assistance will go a long way toward making our farmers whole again, as well as helping to make their farms productive again."