Salt Lake City, Utah -- The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to secure emergency disaster funding for Utah fruit growers. The funding would help offset the devastating affects of a May freeze that damaged or destroyed much of the 2002 fruit crop in the state. This was the worst freeze since 1972.

The Utah fruit industry generated more than $40 million to Utah's economy in 2000 in direct and indirect revenue.

"With repeated years of severe drought and record insect populations, and now a killing freeze, Utah's agricultural producers need significant federal financial help," said Cary G. Peterson, Utah Commissioner of Agriculture and Food. "Just like the businesses and residents who suffered through the Salt Lake tornado of 1999, an agricultural tornado of frost, drought and insects has touched down in Utah's farmland," he added.

Utah commodity cash receipts for 2000 (source: USDA)
Cherries	$9,180,000
Apples	$4,710,000
Peaches	$2,700,000
Pears	$ 245,000
Apricots	$ 159,000
$16,994,000 X economic multiplier = $42,000,000