BATON ROUGE - Farmers who lost at least $10,000 to last year's floods can get federal grants to cover up to $100,000 in such losses, and the application period begins Wednesday.

  

The $9.5 million block grant program covers farmers and ranchers with operations in any of the 51 parishes declared disaster areas last year by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain announced the program late last month.

  

The LSU AgCenter notes that farmers who live in the 13 other parishes can qualify for the grants if even part of their operation is in a covered parish. The grant would cover only losses in the affected parish.

  

The agriculture department has scheduled informational meetings Monday and Tuesday at six stops in north and central Louisiana.