By Lindsay Christ
New York State Gov. David A. Paterson requested July 27 that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) assign 17 New York counties, including Suffolk, agricultural disaster areas due to the bad weather conditions that have been present during this year’s growing season.
If the counties are declared a federal agricultural disaster area, farmers will be able to apply for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Agriculture is a $3.5 billion industry in New York.
“Weather conditions have made this an extremely difficult season for New York’s farmer families. Too much rain has washed away crops, which have also been damaged by hail stones, and now the harvest is suffering from the effects of late blight,” said Gov. Paterson stated in a press release. “I have asked Secretary Vilsack to recognize our farmers’ hardships and consider declaring these 17 counties agricultural disaster areas, which will enable our farmers to receive the financial assistance they need.”
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker took the day to view the crop damage on several Long Island farms in Suffolk, the largest agricultural county in New York State. The excessive rain not only made it difficult for farmers to work due to mud, but the severe storms also left many fruits and vegetables scarred, making the harder to sell on the fresh market.
These conditions have consisted of freezing temperatures early in the season to hail storms and excessive rain and flash flooding later on.
The rain has also contributed to the widespread transmission of late blight, a fungus that affects potatoes and tomatoes and is very difficult to control once established. According to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, late blight has been confirmed in all but 19 of New York state counties that are outside the five boroughs.
In his letter to the USDA, Commissioner Hooker said that “The wet weather this season is a double whammy for farmers already feeling the effects of the recession. We appreciate Governor Paterson’s leadership in requesting federal assistance that will help our farmers cope with the loss of marketable crops.”
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer wrote to Vilsack July 28, asking him to accelerate Paterson’s request.
“This summer has delivered an unusual amount of rain and cool weather, and the late blight has appeared far earlier than usual in the growing season, threatening a wide variety of crops. Farmers will need assistance recovering from the physical damage that the crops have incurred,” he wrote. “The freak convergence of all these damaging conditions exacerbated an already problematic growing season.”
