WASHINGTON — Hawai'i's four major counties have been declared federal disaster areas, opening the door for farmers to obtain low-interest loans to help with drought losses, Sens. Daniel K. Inouye and Daniel K. Akaka announced.

Agriculture Secretary Edward Schafer also declared Kalawao County on the Kalaupapa peninsula of Moloka'i a "contiguous disaster county," said the two senators.

"Our local farmers are hurting," Inouye said. "The emergency low-interest loans that will now be available can be a lifeline for Hawai'i farmers."

The disaster designations make low-interest loans from the U.S. Farm Service Agency available to eligible farmers to offset drought-related crop losses. The loans are for up to 100 percent of actual production or physical losses, not to exceed a total of $500,000.

Akaka said drought has hurt many Hawai'i farmers — such as those on Windward O'ahu dealing with a mandatory 30 percent restriction on irrigation water from the Waimanalo reservoir.

Big Island farmers are facing drought conditions spreading across the island, northeastern Kaua'i's lower reservoir levels continue to hamper farmers and parts of Maui are suffering severe drought conditions that are hurting harvests, Akaka said.

"The Farm Service Agency's low-interest loans will provide much needed relief to our farmers struggling to make it through this continuing drought," Akaka said.