ATLANTA — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a $531 million grant to assist Georgia agricultural producers in recovering from Hurricane Helene.
The grant, part of the American Relief Act of 2025, is aimed at helping farmers and ranchers in Georgia who suffered significant economic losses due to the hurricane.
The funding will be managed through a block grant agreement with the Georgia Department of Agriculture, according to officials.
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“Farmers and ranchers in Georgia have been hit hard and suffered significant economic losses during 2024,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins said in a statement. “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.”
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The USDA said it is collaborating with 14 different states, including Georgia, to develop and implement block grants tailored to each state’s unique disaster recovery needs.
This initiative is part of a broader $30 billion disaster assistance relief effort authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025.
The USDA, Gov. Brian Kemp’s office and the GDA are in the process of finalizing a grant agreement that will address future economic losses, infrastructure, and timber losses.
“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,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper said.
Once finalized, additional program information will be available through the GDA.
In addition to the block grant funding, USDA has launched Stage 1 of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) to assist producers who incurred losses due to weather-related events in 2023 and 2024. This includes more than $1 billion in Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) assistance for livestock producers impacted by drought and wildfires.
The USDA has also announced the second tranche of the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP), which has provided over $9 billion to help agricultural producers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices.
The USDA’s grant to Georgia represents a significant step in supporting the state’s agricultural sector as it recovers from Hurricane Helene. With federal funding secured, Georgia’s farmers and producers can begin the process of rebuilding and ensuring the continuity of their operations.
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