Eleven of the state’s 14 counties have been designated “primary natural disaster areas’’ as a result of the frost and freeze that damaged crops from Feb. 14 through May 4, the federal government announced.

Farmers and ranchers in those 11 counties are eligible for low-interest emergency loans to help cover some of their losses, the Department of Agriculture said in a statement.

The 11 counties affected are Barnstable, Essex, Hampshire, Plymouth, Berkshire, Franklin, Middlesex, Worcester, Bristol, Hampden, and Norfolk. Farmers in Dukes, Nantucket, and Suffolk counties may also apply for loans because they are adjacent to the affected counties.

Counties in Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont that share a border with the affected counties are also eligible.

“Our hearts go out to those Massachusetts farmers and ranchers affected by recent natural disasters,’’ Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement. “President Obama and I are committed to ensuring that agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation’s economy by sustaining the successes of America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities through these difficult times.’’

Farmers and ranchers have eight months from Sept. 16 to apply for a loan.

Olivia Quintana can be reached at olivia.quintana@globe.com.