U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced more than $500 million in aid for Georgia farmers affected by 2024's Hurricane Helene. The funds address gaps in standard disaster programs, covering replanting and equipment costs from the storm's $5.5 billion economic impact. Applications opened on March 16 and close April 27.
Last week, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins visited Georgia to announce the release of over $500 million in block grants for farmers rebuilding after Hurricane Helene in 2024. The storm caused widespread damage to the state's agriculture and forestry sectors, costing the economy about $5.5 billion, including job losses, according to the University of Georgia. Replanting, building, and equipment needs alone total $874 million. Similar grants exist for Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida, with varying administration by each state. Georgia's program targets expenses not covered by regular USDA disaster aid, such as replanting perennial crops like pecans, fruit and nut trees, and blueberry bushes, or replacing poultry flocks after barn destruction. The state leads production in pecans, poultry, and timber, as noted by Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper: “When you think of pecans, poultry, timber — we’re the number one producer in those commodity areas.” Rollins addressed lawmakers, saying, “President Trump understands that farmers were so negatively impacted, and of course, we have to continue to stand by them.” Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff welcomed the funds, which they advocated for since Congress's $21 billion agricultural relief package in late 2024. Rollins explained delays, noting block grants required state-by-state coordination beyond the six-month rollout for other aid. This marks the second such program for Georgia in recent years, following Hurricane Michael in 2018. Duncan Orlander of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition questioned the farm safety net's effectiveness, given repeated ad hoc aid amid weather and market issues.
