COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Gov. Mark Sanford has asked that all but two of South Carolina's counties be declared federal disaster areas because of the region's ongoing drought.

In the letter sent Wednesday morning to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer, Sanford said more than 30 percent of this year's harvest of corn, hay and pasture crops has been lost because of the drought. The governor is touring hard-hit areas in Pickens County.

Only two counties, Charleston and Beaufort, were not included in the request. If approved, farmers will be able to get low-interest emergency loans.

Earlier this month, state officials added nine counties to the list of five already suffering extreme drought.