McLean, Va. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced its intent to initiate sign-up for the crop and quality loss assistance program for U.S. apple growers on Monday, Aug. 13. The program, which Congress approved last year as part of the fiscal 2001 agriculture appropriations act, provides $38 million to help offset a portion of the quality losses sustained by the nation’s apple growers to their 1999 and 2000 crops.

“America’s apple growers suffered significant damage during the last two years, due to drought, hail, hurricane and other weather-related disasters,” said U.S. Apple Association (USApple) President Kraig R. Naasz, whose group spearheaded efforts to secure the crop loss assistance. “Our industry is extremely grateful to our friends in Congress and Agriculture Secretary Ann Venemann for their efforts to offset Mother Nature’s recent ill-tempered treatment of America’s apple growers.”

The crop loss assistance program allocates $38 million to compensate apple growers for quality losses to either or both their 1999 and 2000 crops due to fireblight or weather-related disaster, including but not limited to a hurricane or hail. Apple growers must have suffered at least a 20 percent crop loss to qualify for a portion of the $38 million in assistance.

Major hailstorms and a fireblight outbreak took a major bite out of last fall’s apple crops in New York and Michigan, respectively. In the preceding year, apple growers were forced to contend with Hurricane Floyd in New England and North Carolina, extreme drought throughout Pennsylvania and the Appalachian states, and severe hail in Utah and Colorado.

Apple growers are eligible to receive assistance for losses sustained regardless of whether they chose to harvest their crop, providing they are able to substantiate the crop and quality losses they sustained. Payments will be calculated by multiplying 65 percent of the affected production by 100 percent of the loss in value due to quality. For example, a grower whose 10,000-bushel crop was reduced in value by $1.00 per bushel would be eligible to receive $6,500 in compensation.

Growers should contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency office beginning Aug. 13 to sign-up for assistance. While USDA has not yet set a deadline for the submission of applications, USApple encourages growers to sign-up at their earliest possible convenience. Once all the applications have been received, USDA can begin distributing payments to eligible producers. The $38 million in assistance will remain available until fully expended.

U.S. apple growers have suffered $1.5 billion in estimated losses in the past five years, including $500 million this year alone. Unfairly priced imports of apple juice concentrate, adverse weather conditions, increasing food retail consolidation and rising regulatory costs among other factors, have taken their toll on America’s apple producers.

The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is the national trade association representing all segments of the apple industry. Members include 40 state apple associations representing 9,000 apple growers throughout the country, as well as nearly 500 individual firms involved in the apple business. USApple’s mission is to provide the means for all segments of the U.S. apple industry to join in appropriate collective efforts to profitably produce and market apples and apple products.