Farmers in Georgia are still waiting for federal aid promised after Hurricane Helene hit last September. While other states like South Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia have finalized agreements and started distributing funds, Georgia has only secured the total amount but hasn’t worked out the details on how the money will be distributed.
This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper announced that $531 million is allocated to help Georgia farmers recover. However, unlike in other states, Georgia has yet to finalize its plan for handing out the funds. Harper’s office says they are still working out administrative details and developing a state work plan. Officials don’t have a timeline for when the agreement will be finalized.
Farmers in Georgia have been struggling for a year without this support. Many have had to use their savings, carry unpaid debts, or sell equipment and land to stay afloat. Some still can’t borrow enough to plant crops for 2025. The financial stress is worse because crop prices are low while farming costs keep rising.
Vann Wooten, a farmer and Jefferson Davis County commissioner in southern Georgia, shared how his chicken houses were destroyed in the storm, causing $2 million in damage. Since then, he has stopped raising chickens and shifted his focus to cattle and produce. Wooten says he has received no official word or help from the promised aid, just empty promises.
Officials had promised quicker help compared to the slow response after Hurricane Michael in 2018. Back then, political disputes delayed aid, and Georgia did not start taking grant applications until 2020. This has caused frustration among farmers, who hoped for news this May or June.
U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock called the recent funding announcement “welcome news” but expressed concern over the slow process. He said Georgia farmers and foresters “can’t wait any longer for relief.”
Hurricane Helene caused huge damage across multiple states. It is one of the costliest hurricanes since 1980, with $78 billion in damage and 219 deaths. Georgia alone suffered about $5.5 billion in agricultural losses, including damages to the poultry industry, which officials say will be a significant focus of the aid.
Federal agriculture officials are working on block grants with 14 states, backed by a $100 billion disaster relief package passed by Congress. Some states have already announced finalized grants and begun distributing funds, but Georgia remains the holdout with only the total funding agreed upon.
Farmers and officials alike continue to hope that Georgia will soon finalize the plan and get money flowing to those still recovering from last year’s devastating storm.