Governor Kathy Hochul announced on July 25 that New York has secured a USDA Secretarial Disaster Designation covering 32 counties impacted by spring frost, freezes, hail, flooding and heavy rain that caused more than $30 million in crop losses.
The designation allows eligible fruit and specialty crop growers to apply for U.S. Department of Agriculture low-interest emergency loans and other federal assistance. Farmers have eight months from the disaster declaration date to submit applications through the Farm Service Agency.
An April freeze event damaged crops across New York’s major fruit-growing regions, with growers reporting losses ranging from 15 percent to 100 percent in some cases. Some farmers lost their entire growing season, according to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets survey cited in the disaster declaration.
The affected crops include apples, stone fruit, grapes and strawberries. New York ranks second nationally in apple production and third in grape production, making the losses particularly significant for the state’s agricultural economy. The apple industry alone generates $574 million in annual economic impact.
The primary disaster counties include Broome, Cortland, Tompkins, Cayuga, Chemung, Columbia, Dutchess, Erie, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Nassau, Niagara, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Rockland, Saratoga, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, St. Lawrence, Suffolk, Ulster, Washington, Wayne, Westchester and Yates, with additional contiguous counties also eligible for assistance.
Hochul had requested the disaster designation in May after the spring freeze devastated fruit operations across the state. The April freeze followed an unusually warm spring that had pushed orchards and vineyards into early bloom, making them vulnerable when temperatures plummeted.
The spring freeze affected fruit growers across the entire mid-Atlantic and eastern U.S. region. New Jersey officials reported farm losses exceeding $300 million statewide, while Maryland, Pennsylvania, and other states also experienced significant crop damage. An early spring warm-up had pushed fruit crops into bloom before the late-April freeze swept across the region, destroying buds and early fruit on apple, peach, cherry and berry operations.
Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball emphasized the importance of the federal assistance. “Securing this disaster declaration will provide the opportunity for affected farmers to apply for critical loan funding that will be crucial to our growers as they move forward,” Ball said in the announcement.
Hochul encouraged New Yorkers to support local growers by purchasing fresh local products and goods made from New York crops. Farmers can contact their local USDA service center or use the Farm Service Agency disaster assistance tool through the state Department of Agriculture and Markets emergency management webpage to begin the application process. Federal farm bill funding discussions have also been ongoing at the national level to address broader agricultural support needs.
Sources
- WNYT — announcement of USDA disaster designation for 32 NY counties, crop losses, affected crops, and economic impact figures
- Spectrum Local News — confirmed $30 million in crop losses and affected crop types
- Agriculture.com — regional context on the late-April freeze affecting eastern U.S. fruit growers
- Fresh Plaza — broader mid-Atlantic freeze impacts and crop damage details
- Western Weather Group — analysis of the 2026 spring freeze and its effects on eastern growers
