IMAGE BY MATTHEW SPACCARELLI
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved the New York State Farm Service Agency’s request for a federal Agricultural Disaster Designation following this past May’s deep freeze that destroyed thousands of acres of crops for 31 counties across Upstate New York.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand had repeatedly called on the USDA to make the designation. The senators said Upstate NY suffered major crop damage from the extreme cold weather this past May, destroying grapes, apples, strawberries, blueberries, and other crops vital to the Upstate NY economy, and that with harvest season just beginning, this relief will be critical to supporting impacted farmers on the long road to recovery.
In Chautauqua County, farmers lost over 30% of grape and strawberry crops in the freeze with Cattaraugus County farmers losing over 30% of grape and blueberry crops.
A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators eligible to be considered for critical low-interest FSA Emergency Loans. Impacted NY 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.
According to the USDA, emergency loan funds may be used to: restore or replace essential property, pay all or part of production costs associated with the disaster year, pay essential family living expenses, or reorganize the farming. Farmers in eligible counties have 8 months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans. Local FSA offices can provide affected farmers with further information.
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