The opening of disaster relief funding comes soon after New York State announced a separate $3 million funding round for Long Island aquaculture businesses, many of which are oyster farming operations.
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The United States Department of Agriculture has issued a disaster declaration for Suffolk County, New York, after severe winter weather caused heavy losses for Long Island aquaculture producers.
The designation, announced by Governor Kathy Hochul on 26 May, follows a request made by New York State on 6 April after oyster farmers reported damage linked to heavy snowfall, prolonged freezing conditions and extensive ice formation in February.
According to the state, the weather prevented oyster farmers from reaching shellfish growing areas and carrying out normal harvesting work for an extended period. Ice also blocked access to vessels and aquaculture sites, while damaging racks, lines, vessels and other farm infrastructure.
A survey conducted by industry partners and local officials estimated that many growers had suffered production losses of more than 30%. The reported repair and replacement costs totalled $2,396,500 (€2.06m).
The USDA designation makes eligible farm operators in Suffolk County, and in neighbouring Nassau County as a contiguous county, able to apply for disaster assistance and low-interest emergency loans through the Farm Service Agency, provided they meet programme requirements. Farmers have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply.
“Early last month, I urged the USDA to take swift action to declare Suffolk County a disaster area and help our aquaculture growers get the assistance they need to recover and move forward,” Governor Hochul said.
“With this Secretarial Disaster Declaration, the producers who have seen economic loss can now take advantage of low-interest loans to help ensure they’re able to sustain their operations. I have long been committed to helping this important agricultural sector grow and thrive, and the State will continue to support the industry through this hardship,” she added.
New York officials have described the shellfish aquaculture sector as an important part of the state’s agricultural and coastal economy, made up largely of small and family-owned businesses.
“The damage our shellfish growers saw this winter was unprecedented, with severe damage costing them millions of dollars. I am thankful to the Governor for her ongoing support of the industry and request to the USDA for this Secretarial Disaster Declaration. By elevating our concerns to the USDA, our growers will now have access to emergency loans that will offer financial relief to area farmers,” said State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Commissioner Amanda Lefton has also encouraged affected businesses to submit fishery revenue information and landing reports as part of a possible future request for a NOAA Fishery Disaster Declaration.
Ball and Lefton visited affected businesses on Long Island in April to assess the scale of the damage, following which the Department of Agriculture and Markets and DEC are continuing to collect damage reports through an interagency working group.
Montauk Point Lighthouse, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York State.
Photo: Adobe Stock
The news of the disaster relief funding comes soon after New York State announced a separate $3 million (€2.58m) funding round for Long Island aquaculture businesses, many of which are oyster farming operations.
The grants, awarded through the second round of the Long Island Aquaculture Infrastructure Grant Program, will support 14 small businesses with infrastructure work intended to upgrade facilities, improve operations and increase production. The programme has now allocated $4.2 million, about €3.61 million, to the sector across two rounds.
According to the Governor Hochul’s office, the latest funding forms part of New York State’s "Blue Food Transformation" initiative, first announced in 2024. The second-round grants can be used for construction, renovation or installation of buildings, docks, equipment and other facilities used by Long Island aquaculture businesses.
The first round of the programme, announced in October 2025, provided $1.2 million to 17 Long Island businesses for equipment purchases or upgrades.
Long Island’s shellfish aquaculture industry is largely made up of small and family-owned operations, and comprises a significant chunk of the region's agricultural activity.
According to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture, aquaculture accounts for more than 25% of farms on Long Island, with 155 operations in Suffolk County and 15 in Nassau County. The two counties together generated more than $14.5 million (€12.46m) in aquaculture sales in 2022.
