LANCASTER, PA — On Friday, May 8, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding visited Cherry Hill Orchards in Lancaster County to meet with local growers impacted by the devastating freeze in April and call on the federal government to quickly deploy more support for Pennsylvania farmers. Earlier in the day, the Governor sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins requesting a Secretarial Disaster Designation and urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expedite disaster assistance for Pennsylvania farmers affected by the April freeze, including faster damage assessments that will help growers begin filing crop insurance claims.

As the Shapiro Administration continues to assess widespread crop damage and push for federal assistance for Pennsylvania growers, Gov. Shapiro is calling on the federal government for their support in helping growers recover financially and maintain long-term market stability. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is exploring additional flexibility with appropriated state funds to respond to this situation and working with Penn State Extension to collect early industry assessments.

“My Administration has prioritized Pennsylvania agriculture from day one because we know farming powers our economy, feeds our communities, and sustains our rural communities. Right now, Pennsylvania farmers are facing catastrophic losses through no fault of their own, and they deserve a federal government that moves with urgency,” said Gov. Shapiro. “I’ve called on USDA to cut through delays, expedite the disaster declaration, and ensure farmers receive the assistance and crop insurance support they need to recover and keep their operations moving forward. We will continue to have the backs of our farmers and make sure we explore every option at our disposal to help them through this crisis.” 

Since the freeze event, the Shapiro Administration has directly engaged with more than 200 growers and agricultural stakeholders across the Commonwealth to gather firsthand damage reports and identify immediate needs facing the industry. While the Department of Agriculture expects a clearer understanding of long-term impacts in the coming weeks, early estimates indicate Pennsylvania’s specialty crop industry could face between $150 million and $200 million in economic losses.

Cherry Hill Orchards represents the widespread damage many specialty crop growers are experiencing statewide after the April freeze at a time when farmers are already under pressure from rising input costs, volatile export markets, and an unreliable labor supply. Growers and farmers from Adams, Berks, and Franklin counties who also joined Governor Shapiro and Secretary Redding in their visit reported how the freeze also damaged their crops.

Pennsylvania ranks among the nation’s leading producers of apples, peaches, grapes, cherries, and strawberries and many orchards also sell directly to consumers and invite them to pick their own produce for purchase. Major crop yield losses among these specialty crops without relief would have a significant impact on the Commonwealth’s overall direct-to-consumer sales and agritourism.