The basics:
- USDA disaster designation covers all 21 New Jersey counties
- April freeze caused estimated $300M in crop losses
- Farmers can apply for low-interest emergency loans
- SBA disaster loans also available for eligible businesses
New Jersey farmers impacted by April’s devastating freeze can now access federal recovery assistance. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently approved a disaster designation covering all 21 counties in the state.
The move follows Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s May request for federal assistance. The governor reached out after a late April cold snap caused an estimated $300 million in crop losses across the Garden State’s agricultural sector, which NJBIZ reported on.
The USDA designation makes growers eligible for low-interest emergency loans through the Farm Service Agency. It covers 17 counties as primary disaster areas:
- Atlantic
- Bergen
- Burlington
- Camden
- Cape May
- Cumberland
- Gloucester
- Hunterdon
- Mercer
- Middlesex
- Monmouth
- Morris
- Ocean
- Salem
- Somerset
- Sussex
- Warren
The remaining four counties qualify as contiguous disaster areas.
“Federal relief is now within reach for New Jersey farmers,” Sherrill said in a June 11 statement.
Commenting on the disaster designation, she said, “Through a whole-of-government recovery effort, we secured it for all 21 counties.”
The governor said the designation is a critical step in helping growers recover from widespread crop damage.
“For a family farm, the difference between a lost season and a fresh start often comes down to whether help arrives in time,” Sherrill said.
SBA support
After unseasonably warm weather prompted many fruit crops to bloom early, freeze conditions struck the state April 19–22. Temperatures plunged into the 20s, causing significant damage to peaches, apples, grapes, berries and other crops.
Farmers have until Feb. 8, 2027, to apply for USDA emergency loan assistance.
The federal declaration also triggered assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration for businesses affected by the agricultural disaster.
On June 11, the SBA announced that low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and private nonprofit organizations that suffered financial losses related to the freeze.
More information on how to apply for SBA EIDL loans is available here.
The program also covers businesses in all 21 New Jersey counties, as well as eligible counties in Delaware, New York and Pennsylvania.
“Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the SBA’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”
The SBA said businesses may qualify for loans of up to $2 million to help cover working capital needs, including payroll, fixed debts, accounts payable and other operating expenses that could not be met because of disaster-related losses. Interest rates can be as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for private nonprofits, with repayment terms of up to 30 years.
The freeze prompted Sherrill to issue Executive Order No. 18 on May 20. She declared the statewide State of Emergency after state agriculture officials reported losses exceeding 30% across many crops. Some farms experienced near-total seasonal losses.
At the time, the governor warned that the impacts could extend beyond farms to agritourism operators, retailers and local economies that depend on agricultural production. State officials have described the freeze as one of the most economically damaging weather events for New Jersey agriculture in recent years.
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