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(Scott Township, Pa., May 26, 2026) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, along with U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, met with agricultural leaders today in Pennsylvania to announce U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) assistance to help producers recover from recent freeze events. Secretary Rollins signed a disaster designation for 17 counties in Pennsylvania due to damage and losses caused by below-freezing temperatures that occurred April 19 through April 21, 2026.
“Fighting for our farmers means being there for them when Mother Nature hits, today we are showing that USDA stands with Pennsylvania agriculture — and we will continue working to ensure producers have the support they need to recover and move forward,” said Secretary Rollins. “This designation is a first step forward to help agricultural producers access emergency loans and programs in the aftermath of freezing temperatures. Under President Trump, USDA will continue to put farmers first and make sure they have the resources they need.”
“Our farmers cannot control the weather, but Washington can make sure they are not left to shoulder these losses alone,” said Rep. Bresnahan. “The April freeze devastated orchards and specialty crop producers across Pennsylvania, and this declaration will help get critical relief to the growers who keep our communities fed and our agricultural economy strong. I’m grateful to Secretary Rollins for working with us to deliver support for Pennsylvania farmers.”
This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.
Producers in Adams, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming, and York Counties have until Jan. 26, 2027, to apply for these emergency loans. Additionally, USDA is reviewing disaster designations for the remaining counties in Pennsylvania and is gathering data.
In addition to emergency loans, USDA has a suite of programs to support farmers and ranchers as they recover from disasters, including freeze. These include additional loan programs and loan servicing options, risk management tools like crop insurance, and financial assistance and conservation programs. See full list of programs.
Additional USDA disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including USDA resources specifically for producers impacted by winter weather. Those resources include the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, Loan Assistance Tool, and Natural Disasters and Crop Insurance fact sheet.
For FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent.
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