Farmers whose crops were damaged by high winds and hail in June may be eligible for low interest loans under a federal program announced this morning.

The 40 counties that were deemed eligible for aid include Fulton, Schoharie, Montgomery, Schenectady, Albany, Saratoga and Rensselaer, according to state Agriculture and Markets spokeswoman Jessica Chittenden.

She said farmers who suffered crop damage in June filed reports with their local Farm Services Agency representative and those reports were packaged by the governor's office and sent to Washington with a request for aid.

"Now that the loan money has been approved, the farmers can go to their local FSA office and make an application for funds based on their earlier report," she said.

Gov. David A. Paterson's office announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture funding for loans this morning.

"This help is badly needed," the governor said in a statement. "It has been a challenging year for New York's farmers who are the backbone of our Upstate New York economy,"

Much of the State was battered June 16 by one of the worst hail storms in recent years. Chittenden said the storm damaged many crops including apples, cherries, fresh vegetables, grapes and corn.

Chittenden said each loan application will be judged on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available, repayment ability, and other eligibility requirements.