Georgia Secures $531 Million in Block Grant Funding After Hurricane Helene
Following months of advocacy and negotiation, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper announced a major milestone in recovery efforts for farmers and timberland owners impacted by Hurricane Helene. The Block Grant Funding Agreement, reached in collaboration with USDA and Secretary Rollins, will deliver more than $531 million in disaster relief.
“Definitely a big announcement today. As you know, it’s been a little over a year this past weekend, was one year since Hurricane Helene ravaged our state and caused significant damage to agriculture and forestry.”
Commissioner Harper highlighted the extensive work that has gone into securing this support since the storm struck over a year ago.
“And since that happened, we have been working overtime, both on the state level and on the federal level to ensure that our farmers are able to get back on their feet.”
The relief package, finalized after ongoing discussions with USDA, will provide critical financial assistance to a wide range of agricultural producers.
“And this morning, in conjunction with USDA and with the work and help of Secretary Rollins and her team, we were able to announce that we have reached an agreement on the amount of money that Georgia will be receiving.”
One of the core goals in the negotiations was to ensure the maximum benefit for those affected by Hurricane Helene—especially those who fall outside of traditional FSA disaster program coverage.
“This has been a back and forth constantly with USDA in ensuring that we maximize the most amount of money that Georgia is able to receive, covering the most amount of commodities and producers as possible.”
“And so by doing that, we were able to secure a little over $531 million for Georgia farmers, producers and timberland owners to help them get back on their feet, specifically for coverage areas that are not covered by traditional FSA programs and ensure that they’re able to be successful.”
This funding marks a significant step in the state’s agricultural recovery, providing long-awaited support to producers still feeling the effects of Hurricane Helene’s devastation.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.