U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, Jr. (R-PA) recently hosted a roundtable discussion addressing the impact of a freeze that struck Pennsylvania on April 20-21.
Attendees included U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, local farmers, community leaders, and agricultural stakeholders.
During the freeze, temperatures dropped into the low 20s. This resulted in farms having near-total crop losses for the season. The specialty-crop industry could face between $150 million and $200 million in economic losses, according to Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture estimates.
“Our farmers cannot control the weather, but Washington can make sure they are not left to shoulder these losses alone,” Bresnahan said. “The April freeze devastated orchards and specialty crop producers across Pennsylvania, and this declaration will help get critical relief to the growers who keep our communities fed and our agricultural economy strong. I’m grateful to Secretary Rollins for working with us to deliver support for Pennsylvania farmers.”
Following the roundtable, Bresnahan and Rollins held a press conference and Rollins signed a Secretarial Disaster Declaration for the state. A declaration makes affected farms eligible for low-interest emergency loans and U.S. Department of Agriculture disaster relief resources to manage ongoing operational costs and mitigate losses.
Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation sent a letter to the USDA last week urging the agency to approve a Secretarial Disaster Declaration.