Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Availability of Natural Disaster Recovery Funds to Impacted Farmers
BOSTON - The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today the availability of an initial $15 million in funding
from the Natural Disaster Recovery Program for Agriculture to
Massachusetts farms that were adversely affected by one or more of
the extreme weather events in 2023. This funding will provide
financial relief to farmers impacted by the February
freeze, May frost, and July floods so they can recover and
rebuild their growing operations.
“The climate crisis is
here and farmers are bearing the brunt of extreme weather. With the heavy
losses that our farmers have recently suffered,
it is critical for us to support their recovery efforts,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These funds will
help ensure our farms have the resources to salvage a
difficult year and come back stronger than before. We’re
grateful to the Legislature for making these funds available to support our
hardworking farmers.”
In early
February, an arctic freeze plunged temperatures
to subzero digits causing total damage to the stone fruit crop in
Massachusetts, wiping out this year’s peaches and plums. In May, a series of
frost events when the temperature dipped below freezing on multiple
nights caused severe damage to many fruit crops including apples,
pears, and grapes. In July, unprecedented rainfall caused
catastrophic flooding in Western and Central
Massachusetts impacting more than 2,700 acres of
crops at more than 110 farms across the region.
“Our farms
are key economic drivers in their local communities,
contributing so much more than just the food and produce they grow,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. “A strong agricultural
sector ensures job security, environmental resilience, and
a robust local food system. It’s essential that our affected farmers receive
the aid they need in order to ensure their future
production capacity won’t be diminished by the recent natural
disasters.”
“As evidenced by this year’s extreme weather events, climate
change has caused overwhelming damage to our agricultural production
in Massachusetts,” said
Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “This crisis underscores the
importance of investments in resiliency and climate-smart agricultural
practices, but we
must also provide immediate relief to those who have
been severely impacted by the effects of these recent natural
disasters. This investment in our
farmers provides a much-needed lifeline to allow them to
survive through this challenging growing season.”
To be eligible to apply for these funds, a farm must be a
commercial operation selling products to wholesale or direct to consumer
markets and have suffered at least a 15 percent acreage
crop loss from one or more of the three natural disasters in 2023.
“It’s been such a difficult year for our
farming community but we know that in the face of adversity, our
farmers remain steadfast and resilient,” said MDAR Commissioner Ashley Randle. “Thank you to our
partners in the Legislature for all their advocacy on behalf
of the agricultural industry in Massachusetts. It’s truly been a collaborative
effort to ensure the availability of the Natural Disaster
Recovery Program for Agriculture which I know will
bring real relief to our affected growers.”
“These dollars are going to make a real impact for farmers whose
livelihoods were devastated by severe weather this year,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka. “The Senate was proud to take
quick action by proposing these funds upon seeing the extent of the damage and
disruption to our economy this spring and summer, and I’m grateful for the
support of the House and the Governor for making this relief a reality. I’m
deeply thankful to the Administration, including the Office of Environmental
Affairs and the Department of Agricultural Resources, for administering the
funding, and I’m eager to see it support the recovery of one of our state’s
major industries.”
“This funding will not only help farmers recover from
devastating weather events, it will also protect the services that
they provide for Massachusetts families, along with the vital role that they
play in the Commonwealth’s economy,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano. “I encourage those affected
to apply for the available funds, and I would like to thank the Healey-Driscoll
Administration, and my colleagues in the House and the Senate, for approving
this critical support.”
“I am thrilled that the Legislature, in partnership with the
Healey-Driscoll administration, allocated $20 million in emergency relief
funding to assist beleaguered farmers recover from their devastating losses
earlier this summer,” said Senate
Committee on Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues. “It is our duty as public
officials to help working farmers continue to provide food to wholesale and
consumer markets.”
“This critical funding stream will provide direct payments to
farmers to cover losses, helping them to recover and remain a strong part of
the local economy and our food system,” said State Representative Natalie M.
Blais.
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