The New York State Department of Agriculture issued a crop loss determination on Tuesday for grape farmers across the state.

A late frost event in April is being blamed for this year's Concord crop loss.

The disaster declaration was based on reporting conducted by the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Lab at Cornell AgriTech, according to the NY DOA.

According to the report, Concord vineyards in the New York portion of the Lake Erie production region suffered a 60 percent loss, which makes up 46 to 51 percent of the state's total Concord crop loss.

The staff at the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory have been working with the growers and processor representatives across the state to assess the crop damage since early this spring.

“This latest freeze event left our grape growers and farm wineries struggling with the potential of not having enough New York-grown grapes to maintain their farm winery license and thereby maintain their markets," State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said.

"By issuing this declaration, we’re taking immediate action to help our farm wineries recover from the freezing temperatures experienced in April and allow them to focus on preparing for next year’s growing season. We encourage any impacted farms to take advantage of this respite and to continue to report losses to lessen the impacts of this damaging severe weather event.”

According to the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, these growers generate a $6.65 billion economic impact for New York State. There are 471 wineries in New York, growing a variety of grapes on 35,000 acres.

The State Department of Agriculture says that New York ranks as the third-largest grape producer and the third-largest wine producer in the country.

The Department will be hosting an industry-wide webinar on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at 1:00 pm, to provide information on the application process and to answer any questions.

Farm wineries can apply for the exemption. The deadline to apply for the exemption is October 31, 2024.

Source - https://www.wgrz.com