U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved a federal disaster designation for 31 upstate New York counties following a deep freeze in May that destroyed thousands of acres of crops.
The senators said the designation makes farm operators in primary counties and counties contiguous eligible to be considered for critical low-interest FSA Emergency Loans. Impacted New York producers will be able to borrow up to 100 percent of the actual amount of production or physical losses to a maximum amount of $500,000.
The senators said the severe cold temperature and frost in May resulted in significant crop losses for several types of fruit, including grapes, apples, strawberries, peaches, pears, plums, blueberries, apricots, cherries, and caneberries across the state, and flower and hay damage in certain areas.
Freezing temperatures caused severe frost damage to multiple crops across the majority of the state. Yet, Schumer said that grapes and apples were hit especially hard, with vineyards across New York reporting losses ranging from five to 100 percent. Several farmers in the Finger Lakes region said this year’s frost was ‘the worst they had ever seen,’ with almost every single vineyard in the region sustaining at least some damage, potentially decimating the year’s vintage.
The senators said they are grateful to Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack for acting swiftly and decisively to approve the disaster designation. They urged farmers in eligible counties to apply for emergency loans quickly and to contact their local FSA office for more information.
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Categories: New York, Business