MARYLAND - An internal survey by the Maryland Farm Bureau found that a late-season frost on April 20 devastated Maryland’s specialty crop industry, with nearly 90 growers reporting an average estimated production loss of 67.5 percent.
The self-reported survey data covered more than 320 acres of production land and showed many farms in the hardest-hit counties suffered losses of 90 percent or more.
According to the MFB, the freeze came after unusually warm early spring temperatures pushed crops into advanced growing stages before the sudden frost damaged orchards, vineyards and vegetable operations.
Hardest-hit crops include apples, peaches, wine grapes and early spring vegetable starts.
In response, the MFB sent a formal request to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins asking for an expedited Secretarial Disaster Declaration. The designation would allow impacted farmers to access federal financial assistance and emergency loans.
The organization said counties reporting significant impacts include Montgomery, Frederick, Carroll, Baltimore, Howard, Anne Arundel, Harford, Washington, Prince George’s and Calvert counties.
“Our farmers are worried, and for many, this frost represents the loss of an entire year of income in a single night,” Maryland Farm Bureau President James Raley wrote in the letter. “Maryland farmers are resilient, but they cannot weather this storm alone.”
The MFB is also urging farmers to continue reporting crop losses to local Farm Service Agency offices so the federal government can compile the information needed to move forward with a disaster declaration.
