Georgia Helene Block Grant Payments Expected This Fall
Georgia farmers and timber producers waiting on Hurricane Helene disaster assistance could see those payments by the end of this fall.
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper gave an update during Georgia Farm Bureau’s Commodity Conference. USDA awarded the state just over $531 million in Hurricane Helene Block Grant funding for losses that weren’t compensated through pre-existing USDA programs.
Nearly 5,900 applications came in. After an initial review, a little more than 4,200 were considered eligible for a full review.
But here’s where the numbers get tight. Harper says applicants have requested more than $900 million in potential payouts, well above the funding available.
That means payments are expected to be prorated. Once reviews are complete, every eligible payment will be adjusted by the same factor, giving applicants the same proportional share of their approved amount.
Harper says final payments can’t be calculated until every application has been reviewed, but the department anticipates distributing those funds by the end of fall.
