Frost damaged farms declared disaster

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The federal government is declaring a disaster for farmers in New York who lost their crops because of spring frost.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's office announced Wednesday the declaration was made at her urging to allow farmers to access federal funds to help them recover losses. Over three million acres of farmland were damaged by the overnight frosts much of western New York experienced night after night this spring.

Below is more information from the Senator's office:

Federal agriculture disaster recovery programs provide a variety of tools to assist farmers in overcoming the challenges they can face as they work to recover from production and physical losses on their farms and rebuild their business, including financial assistance to compensate for farm losses, low interest emergency loans, and assistance in rehabilitating farm land.

Below is a list of New York counties that received disaster declaration and counties that are eligible for benefits:

Disaster #1: Frost and freezes that occurred during the period of March 1, 2012, and continuing.

Disaster declaration for the primary counties of Albany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Columbia, Dutchess, Erie, Fulton, Greene, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Rensselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Ulster, Washington and Yates.

Benefits are also available for the contiguous counties of Allegany, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Genesee, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Oneida, Otsego, Putnam, Schenectady, Steuben, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Warren, Wayne and Wyoming

Disaster #2: Frost and freezes unseasonably warm temperatures, and excessive heat that occurred during the period of March 1, 2012 through April 30, 2012.

Disaster declaration for the primary counties of Allegany, Wayne and Wyoming.

Benefits are also available for the contiguous counties of Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca and Steuben.

Disaster #3: Frost, freezes, high winds, and hail that occurred during the period of March 26 through April 8, 2012.

Disaster declaration for the primary counties of Orange and Rockland.

Benefits are also available for the contiguous counties of Dutchess, Putnam, Sullivan and Ulster.

Designation # 4: Excessive snow and freezes that occurred during the period of April 1, through April 30, 2012.

Disaster declaration for the primary county of Tompkins.

Benefits are also available for the contiguous counties of Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Schulyer, Seneca and Tioga.