The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved federal aid for fruit growers in New York, according to three lawmakers in the state.
Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as Rep. Pat Ryan (D – NY18), said Monday that their calls to the USDA “to provide relief for New York farmers suffering losses following a devastating frost in April” had been heard, and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins approved aid to the Empire State’s growers of fruit and specialty crops.
“The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets estimates more than $30 million in losses to date, with apple, grape, stone fruit, onion, and other specialty crop growers potentially losing anywhere from 15 to 100 percent of their crops to the frost,” read a statement from the New York lawmakers.
Calls for disaster aid had also been made last month by a trio of Hudson Valley county executives — Dutchess County’s Sue Serino, Orange County’s Steve Neuhaus and Ulster County’s Jen Metzger.
“Ulster, Dutchess, and Orange Counties are among the largest producers of apples (Ulster County ranks second in the state), and important producers of other affected crops, including pears, cherries, and other stone fruit, grapes, strawberries, and onions,” read a letter to Rollins from the three county executives. “Farms lost as much as 90 percent of this year’s crops, creating financial hardship for their businesses, families, and workers.”