U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide more than $531 million in Congressionally mandated recovery assistance to Georgia farmers through a block grant agreement with the Georgia Department of Agriculture to help producers recover from Hurricane Helene.
“Farmers and ranchers in Georgia have been hit hard and suffered significant economic losses during 2024. Our team has worked closely with the State of Georgia to ensure those impacted have the relief they need in record time,” said Rollins. “President Trump has our farmers’ backs and will ensure they have the resources they need to continue to produce the safest, most reliable and most abundant food supply in the world.”
Georgia Ag Commissioner Tyler Harper
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper added, “This funding is absolutely essential to help our farm families bounce back from Hurricane Helene, and our team invested hundreds of hours into the negotiation process to secure the maximum possible amount of federal funding for our state and our producers. I want to thank Sec. Brooke Rollins and her team at USDA FSA for understanding the urgency of the situation and their strong partnership and collaboration throughout this process. I look forward to continuing work with the Trump Administration to deliver real results for Georgia farmers.”
The block grant funding is part of the $30 billion disaster assistance relief effort authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025. The USDA is working with 14 different states, including Georgia, to develop and implement block grants to address the unique disaster recovery needs for each state.
The USDA, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s office and the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) are finalizing a grant agreement that will cover future economic losses, infrastructure and timber losses. Once the agreement is finalized, additional program information will be available through the GDA.