‘Immense loss:’ Georgia leaders say Hurricane Helene impact on state agriculture, forestry over $6B

GEORGIA — A group of Georgia lawmakers and state officials gathered Thursday to give updates on how Hurricane Helene impacted the Georgia economy.

Specifically, Gov. Brian Kemp, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper and Forestry Commission Director Johnny Sabo, among others, said the impact of Hurricane Helene on Georgia’s agriculture industry was measured as billions of dollars.

Members of Georgia’s congressional delegation joined state leaders to urge “swift action from those on the federal level” to get relief to farming families in need, and, if possible, implement a block grant program similar to those used in the wake of Hurricane Michael in 2018.

“We depend on our farmers and timber growers to provide the food and fibers we use every day and that drives our economy as part of Georgia’s No. 1 industry,” Kemp said in a statement. “Following the immense losses caused by Hurricane Helene, and with Hurricane Milton possibly bringing further impacts to our state, I’m urging all of our local, state, and federal partners to join efforts in bringing them relief. That’s why we’re calling on the federal government and Congress to act quickly in appropriating relief funds and helping them rebuild their livelihoods.”

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A report from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences said Thursday that damages to the agriculture and forestry industries in Georgia was about $6.46 billion.

While the report is considered preliminary, the governor’s office said it “represents the sum of direct crop losses, losses to businesses that support agriculture and forestry, losses to workers in those related industries, and estimated recovery and restoration costs that agricultural businesses will face,” based on projections by commodity analysts from UGA, Forestry Commission foresters and models of the state economy.

On Thursday, the Georgia Forestry Commission reported a total impact on timber resources was as high as $1.28 billion. Officials have said impacts on Georgia’s poultry industry were severe, in addition to the tree nut, peanut and pecan industries.

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The American Farm Bureau put estimates on impacts to the state’s poultry industry from Helene at an 80% loss, citing “Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announcing that over 107 poultry houses were “either damaged or destroyed” after the storm.

Additionally, a pecan expert from CAES said they currently “estimate a 75% crop loss in the storm-damaged area. This is an average across the entire area and includes lighter losses on the fringes of the storm and nearly complete loss in the more intensely damaged areas.” The estimate added that could be as much as 36 million pounds of pecans lost.

In an Oct. 2 podcast by UGA CAES staff, loss estimates for Georgia’s cotton crops were ballparked around 35% to 40%.

Similarly, a peanut specialist with the program, Prof. Walter Scott Monfort said on a set of podcast episodes from UGA that he estimated that 10% of the crop was damaged directly, but that it could rise to as high as 30% of the East Georgia crop, especially if power to facilities is not restored soon.

Final figures on Helene’s agricultural impacts are still pending, with state officials saying it will take months to fully understand Helene’s scope and damage impact on Georgia’s farmers.

“Right now, the future is uncertain for thousands of Georgia farmers and farm families who were devastated by Hurricane Helene,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said. “We are working around the clock with state, federal, and industry leaders to deliver federal aid to Georgia farmers to help them recover and bounce back stronger than before. I’m proud to see our entire Georgia delegation rallying around and supporting the Georgia farmers who fuel the success of our state’s #1 industry, and we will not stop working until we’ve delivered the relief our Georgia farmers and producers need.”

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