Massachusetts Farmers Get $20 Million in State Disaster Relief After Rough Year

It was a rough year for many Massachusetts farmers who experienced a deep February freeze, a late May frost event, and catastrophic flooding in July.

To help them recover from the damage, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that the state’s Natural Disaster Recovery (NDR) Program for Agriculture is providing $20 million in assistance to 347 farmers in western and central Massachusetts who experienced significant crop losses due to the three weather events.

“After seeing the devastating damage and listening to farmers who lost their livelihoods over the summer, we knew we had to do something to support the agricultural industry. That’s what this funding demonstrates – it provides direct aid to farms,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This program is helping us put farmers first so they can recover, rebuild, and become more resilient in the face of climate change.”

Healey thanked state lawmakers for their partnership in providing support for farmers.

Three Events

The arctic freeze that swept through the state in early February caused damage to the stone fruit crop in Massachusetts, wiping out this year’s peaches and plums. In May, the overnight temperatures fell to below freezing after most fruit blossoms had set, severely damaging to apple, pear, and grape crops. July’s unprecedented rainfall caused destructive flooding in western and central parts of the state, impacting thousands of acres of crops cultivated by more than 110 farms across the region.

For some farmers, the events meant a total loss of their crops for the season, and for others, the weather substantially reduced their harvest and, as a result, their revenue, according to the administration.

The maximum award per farmer was $350,000. The application process considered any insurance or other recovery proceeds a farm may have received.

Eligibility

To receive funding through the state program, applicants were required to be a Massachusetts-based agricultural operation growing field crops, hay and forage crops, or produce crops. Eligible farms had to demonstrate that they suffered losses of greater than 15% of their total planted acreage during one of the 2023 natural disasters.

Funds have been distributed in time for local farms to begin the work needed for next year’s growing and harvesting season.

There were 452 federal crop insurance policies in the state in 2022, covering about 25,600 acres and providing $59.4 million in liability coverage. Insurers paid $1.8. million in losses in 2020, down from $8.5 million in 2020. Corn, cranberries, potatoes and apples are among the top crops in the state.

Topics Agribusiness Massachusetts