Governor Wes Moore sent out a letter Wednesday to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins requesting a Secretarial Disaster Designation for Maryland counties impacted by the freeze event in April.
In the letter, Governor Moore said the request is supported by disaster assessment data from the Maryland Farm Service Agency (Maryland FSA), which "underscores the critical need for federal intervention to sustain Maryland's leading commercial industry."
According to the letter, on April 21, a severe temperature drop across the region resulted in "catastrophic damage" to Maryland's specialty crops, which include perennial fruit trees and viticulture —the agricultural science and practice of cultivating grapevines.
Reports have shown that the Maryland FSA office recorded historic losses, including 94% of the apple crop, 99% of the peach crop, and 98% of the barley crop in multiple areas across the state.
The Maryland Wineries Association also reported that 36% of grape acreage suffered total loss, with an estimated $24.4 million deficit in projected wine sales for the 2026 vintage, according to the Governor's Office.
Governor Moore says the state's producers are facing the compounding burden of sunk costs, which include maintaining the health of perennial vines and trees that require ongoing labor and maintenance, with an estimated cost of about $4.2 million for the state's grape crop alone — costs that growers must now absorb without the offset of annual revenue.
"Maryland's farmers are resilient, but the scale of this climate event exceeds local and state recovery capacities. As highlighted by recent Maryland Farm Bureau surveys, our agricultural community remains vulnerable to extreme weather volatility and requires enhanced financial accessibility to maintain long-term viability. My administration has worked closely with Maryland FSA State Executive Director George Turner to monitor these assessments, and the data confirms that losses far exceed the 30 percent threshold required for a Secretarial Disaster Declaration," Governor Moore said.
"I urge the Department to expedite this designation to ensure that emergency loans and supplemental relief programs are made available to our producers without delay. Swift action is essential to provide the stability Maryland's farmers need to recover from this catastrophe and prepare for the next growing season," he added.
The Governor's full letter to Secretary Rollins can be read below:
