Schumer Hoping to Grow More Money on Trees with Apple Bill

By Rachel Ward

Rochester, NY – U.S. Senator Charles Schumer says he's introducing new legislation to help farmers plant new varieties of apples that are growing in popularity, literally providing farmers with seed money.

The bill would authorize the Department of Agriculture to provide grants and loans to the tune of 20 million dollars a year, to help farmers plant new trees.

Schumer's hoping to get the legislation in the budget that begins in October.
He says the sooner farmers can apply for the funds, the better, because new trees are fallow and don't produce any apples for three years after planting.
New York farmers will likely receive the bulk of the dollars allocated for the program, according to the senator.

The federal Secretary of Agriculture will determine which varieties are eligible for the grants. Schumer says at the outset, Gala, Sweetango and Honeycrisp would be eligible for the subsidy. New lines that Cornell announced this week, and which are expected to be named in the fall, will also be eligible.

The Apple Act is based on a Canadian program that helped growers in Nova Scotia switch their orchards to new varieties. Schumer says that effort has been a boon to them, allowing them to get $500 a bin for Honeycrisp apples, versus the $100 New York farmers get for McIntosh apples.