Oyster growers on the North Fork are getting a much-needed boost.
The state hasawarded$3 million to 14 small businesses through the second round of the Long Island Aquaculture Infrastructure Grant Program, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Saturday.
Locally, those receiving funds include Peconic Gold Oysters in Cutchogue, Oysterponds Shellfish in Orient, North Fork Big Oyster Corp. and Little Ram Oyster Company in Southold.
This relief comes at a critical time, following the devastating aftermath of whatoyster farmers are calling “The Big Freeze.”Prolonged icy waters, blizzard conditions and freezing temperatures this past winter caused significant damage to gear and equipment and threatened inventories.
The Long Island Oyster Growers Association provided data to the governor’s office and other state agencies projecting an average crop loss of 33% for oyster farmers, as well as an estimated $2.4 million in gear repair and replacement costs.
The aquaculture industry makes up 25% of farms on Long Island, with 155 total operations in Suffolk County and 15 in Nassau County, according to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture. Those operations generated over $14.5 million in sales in 2022.
The recently awarded funding will help support infrastructure upgrades, streamline operations and increase production, according to state officials.
“These efforts will help our farmers get back on their feet and continue building a stronger, more sustainable aquaculture industry on Long Island,” Long Island Farm Bureau executive director Bill Zalakar said in a statement.
The $3 million grant was the second part of the the state’s Blue Food Transformation initiative. Thefirst roundawarded $1.2 million in equipment grants to 17 businesses on Long Island last October to upgrade operations and boost production.
This announcement comes almost a month after the governor responded to sever economic losses by requesting a Secretarial Disaster Designation for Suffolk County from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If approved, the designation would allow access to low-interest emergency loans to aid recovery.
Source: The Suffolk Times
