RALEIGH — North Carolina farmers will see some relief after a $221 million federal block grant was issued to cover crop production losses not covered under crop insurance or other Hurricane Helene relief funds.
North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden signed a $221 million federal block grant agreement for the state during a Sept. 5 meeting at the N.C. Mountain State Fair in Fletcher.
The block grant targets infrastructure damage, market losses, future economic losses and timber losses, applicable for the 39 counties officially declared disaster areas following last year’s storm and flooding.
“This $221 million federal disaster assistance block grant for agricultural damage due to Hurricane Helene is welcomed news to North Carolina farmers in Western North Carolina who have been holding on in the aftermath of massive ag losses in 2024,” Troxler said.
The grant agreement funding is part of the $30 billion disaster assistance relief effort authorized through the 2025 American Relief Act.
“We are grateful for USDA’s continued efforts on this block grant and appreciate their willingness to partner with us on this much-needed assistance,” Troxler said. “We all have an interest in the success of agriculture because farmers produce the food and fiber we all depend on.”
To access the funds, “certain producers may have to agree to acquire and maintain USDA Risk Management coverage for a period of two crop years for market loss, future economic loss, plasticulture, and aquaculture claims,” according to Troxler’s press release.
“Today’s announcement is about delivering on our promise to stand shoulder to shoulder with America’s farmers in times of need,” said Vaden.
Troxler said his agency is working with the USDA to create a work plan and application for the program.
“I encourage those in the eligible counties to gather documentation of losses to assist in the application process,” Troxler said, adding that information on the program can be found at ncagr.gov/agdisaster.
Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), who had urged the USDA to expedite the grant, joined Vaden and Troxler in Asheville for the announcement.
In a statement, Budd thanked Trump, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, Troxler and other members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation for their help in getting the funds finalized.
“While there’s much more to be done to rebuild Western North Carolina, this block grant goes a long way to help restore the foundation of our state’s largest single industry — agriculture,” Budd said.
“America’s farmers and ranchers across the Southeast and in North Carolina have been hit hard and suffered significant economic losses during 2024,” Rollins said in a statement when the grants were announced.
“USDA has worked closely with the State of North Carolina to ensure those impacted have the relief they need. President Trump has our farmers’ backs, and we are working quickly to get these much-needed relief funds to those who need to rebuild”
The 2023/2024 Supplemental Disaster Assistance public landing page has information and the capability to track the status of USDA disaster assistance.
As of Sept. 7, the USDA’s Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) Dashboard shows payment data of more than $8.032 billion in ECAP disbursements and 560,670 applications. North Carolina disbursement accounts for $120.05 million, with 6,574 approved applications. The top three crops receiving assistance are soybeans ($39.51 million), corn ($30.79 million) and cotton ($29.88 million).
The new grant funding is in addition to $32 million in relief assistance related to Hurricane Chantal announced by Trump in a Sept. 11 Truth Social post. Chantal hit the state in July and caused widespread flooding across multiple counties.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said in a statement he had spoken to Trump and called the funding “great news.”
“It’s all hands on deck, and I thank him for helping North Carolina rebuild,” Stein said on X. “I look forward to working with the administration to deliver critical resources to NC.”
The $32 million follows a Sept. 9 announcement of $12 million in federal FEMA money for Hurricane Helene relief.
