The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will provide more than $531 million in Congressionally mandated recovery assistance to agricultural producers in Georgia through a block grant agreement with the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA). The funding aims to help farmers and ranchers recover from the economic losses caused by Hurricane Helene in 2024.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins highlighted that the USDA has worked closely with the State of Georgia to ensure timely relief for impacted farmers, emphasizing that the resources will enable producers to continue delivering a reliable and abundant food supply. Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper noted that the block grant program is critical for helping farm families recover and praised the strong collaboration between state officials and the USDA in securing the maximum federal funding for the state.
The block grant is part of the $30 billion disaster assistance relief effort authorized under the American Relief Act, 2025. USDA is coordinating with 14 states to develop and implement block grants that address the specific disaster recovery needs of each state. The grant agreement with Georgia will cover infrastructure, timber, and future economic losses, with additional program information expected to be made available through the GDA once finalized.
In addition to the block grant, USDA continues to implement Supplemental Disaster Assistance programs from the American Relief Act. Stage 1 of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) was launched in July 2025 to support producers who suffered revenue, quality, or production losses due to weather-related events in 2023 and 2024. Over $1 billion has been distributed through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) for drought and wildfire losses, with an additional $1 billion expected for livestock producers affected by floods and other wildfires. The second tranche of the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) has provided over $9 billion to help agricultural producers mitigate rising input costs and falling commodity prices. Producers can track USDA disaster assistance programs and application deadlines through the agency’s official public landing page.
