Hurricane
USDA Under Secretary Richard Fordyce says USDA’s new phase of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program expands eligibility, requires in-person enrollment and targets losses from the 2023 and 2024 weather disasters.
Checking in with Georgia growers who are ending a growing season spent cleaning and rebuilding after the devastation.
The $16 billion in disaster aid covers crop losses due to natural disasters from 2023 and 2024. It’s the largest chunk of the $21 billion approved by Congress at the end of 2024.
The House of Representatives released its Continuing Resolution text, which includes a one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill, $10 billion in farmer economic aid, $21 billion in ag disaster funding for 2023 and 2024 and year-round E15 sales.
Milton threatens to inflict wind damage in the northern two-thirds of Florida’s citrus belt this week, according to Commodity Weather Group. Orange juice futures rose up to 4.3% on Monday due to the threat to Florida’s citrus industry.
Cleanup is underway, but it could take years to put the pieces back together. Farmers say with lower commodity prices, many were already on the financial brink before the storm.
Hurricane Helene shut at least two poultry plants in Georgia and North Carolina and twisted cotton crops in South Carolina in blows to U.S. food and fiber production.
Damage estimated between $95 billion and $110 billion. Farmers in South Georgia were assessing the damage to the state’s $1 billion cotton crop and $400 million pecan crop now in harvest season.