Governor George E. Pataki today urged the Clinton Administration to provide federal agricultural disaster aid to New York farm families who suffered devastating crop losses due to severe weather across the state Sunday and Tuesday.

"Farm families are vital to the rural economy and the small communities where they live and operate. We will do all we can to ensure they fully recover from these devastating losses," Governor Pataki said. "Farmers across the state were devastated by this week’s storms; some counties are seeing huge crop losses."

In a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Daniel Glickman, Governor Pataki requested USDA disaster assistance for the following 19 counties:

• Albany- High Winds
• Broome- Tornado, Excessive Rain, Hail, High Winds
• Chautauqua- Tornado, High Winds
• Chenango- Tornado, Excessive Rain, High Winds, Hail, Lightning
• Columbia- Tornado, Excessive Rain, Flooding, Hail, High Winds, Lightning
• Delaware- Tornado, Excessive Rain, High Winds, Lightning
• Greene- Tornado, Excessive Rain, Flooding, Hail, High Winds, Lightning
• Herkimer- High Winds
• Livingston- Excessive Rain, Hail, High Winds
• Niagara- Hail
• Orange- Excessive Rain, Flooding, Hail, High Winds
• Otsego- Tornado, Rain, Flooding, Hail, High Winds, Lightning
• Rensselaer- Tornado, Excessive Rain, Flooding, Hail, High Winds
• Saratoga- Tornado, High Winds, Lightning
• Schenectady- Excessive Rain, Hail, High Winds, Lightning
• Schoharie- Excessive Rain, Hail, High Winds, Lightning
• Washington- Tornado, Hail, Lightning, High Winds
• Wayne- Hail, High Winds
• Wyoming- Tornado, High Winds

Should the Clinton Administration grant the Governor’s request, farm families in these counties will be eligible for up to $500,000 in loans at 3.25 percent interest from the federal Farm Service Agency.

"Mother Nature is our best friend and our worst enemy as we saw this week as severe weather devastated many of New York’s farms," said New York Farm Bureau President John Lincoln. "It’s nice to know that Governor Pataki is ready to stand up for New York State’s farm families when such devastation strikes. There’s no question that the impact of this week’s severe weather on those farm families is extreme. I know that our farm families appreciate Governor Pataki’s support on their behalf. Anything that can be done to help them recover from devastating losses is greatly, greatly appreciated."

Crops affected in the 19 counties include corn, oats, hay, alfalfa, various vegetables and fruit, seedlings and onions. In Orange County, up to 70 percent of the valuable onion crop was destroyed by Sunday’s storms.

State Agriculture Commissioner Donald R. Davidsen said, "The major crop loss serves as a double whammy for our farmers who also suffered damage to their barns, silos and other farm structures. Thankfully, the Governor is once again coming through for our farmers and requesting this vital aid to help them recover."

Rensselaer and Otsego Counties suffered more than $1 million each in structural damage to farms from Sunday’s weather. Broome County received another $250,000 in damage to barns, silos and farm dwellings.

1998 Press Releases