Georgia Impact: Between 500,000 and 600,000 Cotton Bales Lost Following Helene

Clint Thompson Georgia

Cotton on the ground in a field in Soperton, Georgia, following Hurricane Helene.

By Clint Thompson

Initial estimates for Hurricane Helene’s economic impact on Georgia agriculture reached $6.46 billion, according to totals released Thursday by the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). Unfortunately for Georgia’s cotton growers, much of that damage was done to the state’s cotton industry.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp speaks at a press conference in Soperton, Georgia, on Thursday.

UGA CAES Dean Nick Place announced that between 500,000 and 600,000 bales of cotton were lost, equating to between $207 million and $220 million in economic losses.

Taylor Sills, Georgia Cotton Commission’s (GCC) executive director, was present at the press conference in Soperton, Georgia. While the numbers were not surprising, they provided a gloomy picture of the storm’s impact on the cotton industry.

“Those numbers are what we’ve said all along, somewhere around one-third of the crop. I think there’s a fair chance it goes up a little bit,” said Sills, who believes quality losses will mount as a result of the storm. “I feel confident in the main impact area of Hurricane Helene, we will have quality problems going forward in this season.

“We’ve got a long road to hoe, whether it’s seeking assistance from the state or federal government. We’re really grateful to the efforts of the National Cotton Council and Southern Cotton Growers for doing that on behalf of the growers.

“This is generational, what we’ve seen here.”

Thursday’s press conference included Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper and multiple legislative leaders.