FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 2nd, 2026
Office of Communications
404-656-3689
Hurricane Helene Block Grant Applications Open March 16th, 2026
ATLANTA, GA – Today, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper announced that Georgia farmers, ranchers and foresters in eligible counties that have suffered losses in timber, infrastructure, poultry, beef cattle, dairy cattle, milk loss, dairy feed loss, pecans, blueberries, citrus, nursery, plasticulture and bare ground practices due to Hurricane Helene may apply for assistance through the Georgia Hurricane Helene Block Grant Program beginning March 16th, 2026. In September 2025, Harper announced Georgia will receive $531,236,000 to provide relief for commodities and losses that are not covered under pre-existing USDA programs. The application will remain open for a period of six weeks, closing at midnight on April 27th, 2026. The application, eligibility requirements, guidance documents, and additional details are available at www.farmrecovery.com
“I’m incredibly proud to announce that Georgia farmers impacted by Hurricane Helene can apply for relief beginning on March 16, 2026,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper. “While this relief will not make impacted producers 100% whole, it will go a long way to help farm families get back on their feet after the devastation of Hurricane Helene. We invested thousands of hours into this process to ensure we brought the maximum amount of funding to Georgia while covering as many commodities and loss types as possible, and I want to thank the Trump Administration and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins for understanding the critical need for financial relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene.”
About Georgia’s Hurricane Helene Block Grant Program:
Georgia farmers, ranchers, and foresters in eligible counties that have suffered losses in timber, infrastructure, poultry, beef cattle, dairy cattle, milk loss, dairy feed loss, pecans, blueberries, citrus, nursery, plasticulture, and bare ground practices due to Hurricane Helene may apply for assistance to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Georgia is covering more commodities and loss types than any other state.
In general, timber payments are based on pre-hurricane values of damaged timber stands; infrastructure losses cover on-farm physical structures needed for agricultural production; poultry losses are based on lost production cycles; beef and dairy cattle losses cover drops in conception rates; milk losses are for lower milk production; pecan, blueberry and citrus losses are for future production losses due to destroyed bushes and trees; nursery losses cover future production losses due to destruction of nursery crops; and compensation is provided to reestablish plasticulture and bare-ground practices damaged by the Hurricane. Minimum loss requirements apply.
Documents:
General HBG Flyer
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Info Sheet: Blueberry Bushes
Info Sheet: Citrus Trees
Info Sheet: Dairy – Milk
Info Sheet: Dairy – Structures
Info Sheet: General Infrastructure
Info Sheet: Green House Structures
Info Sheet: Irrigation
Info Sheet: Pecans
Info Sheet: Plastic Mulch
Info Sheet: Poultry Houses
Info Sheet: Timber
Info Sheet: Beef Conception Losses
Media Contacts
Matthew Agvent, Communications Director
770-238-7216
Matthew.Agvent@agr.georgia.gov
Liz Rivera-Brown, Deputy Communications Director
404-772-2056
Liz.Rivera-Brown@agr.georgia.gov