The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the re-designation of 12 Arizona counties as primary natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by recent drought.

The designation allows farmers in Apache, Gila, Maricopa, Pima, Cochise, Graham, Mohave, Pinal, Coconino, Greenlee, Navajo and Santa Cruz counties to receive low-interest Farm Service Agency emergency loans.

Additionally, farmers in eligible counties have eight months to apply for emergency loans to help cover part of their actual losses.

The initial designation of these countries was 10 years ago, but drought conditions continue and crop yields are still suffering.

Farmers and ranchers in the neighboring counties of La Paz, Yavapai and Yuma also qualify for natural disaster assistance, as do farmers and ranchers in the counties of San Bernardino, California; Montezuma, Colorado; Clark and Lincoln counties in Nevada; Catron, Cibola, Grand, Hidalgo, McKinley and San Juan counties in New Mexico; and Kane, San Juan and Washington counties in Utah.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.