State begins to send checks for Helene crop losses
The first group of checks have been sent to farmers who applied for disaster assistance through the 2024 Ag Disaster Crop Loss, with more to follow in the coming weeks, said North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. The first round of checks was sent to farmers in Western North Carolina.
The payments are part of a total of $478 million in ag disaster assistance crop loss funds appropriated by the General Assembly earlier this year to help farmers statewide who suffered almost $5 billion in ag losses in 2024 from Hurricane Helene, a drought, Tropical Storm Debby and Potential Cyclone 8. This includes an additional $25 million for infrastructure losses the General Assembly approved in a separate bill. Another application period is required for the $25 million in infrastructure funding and information on that will be announced at a later date.
Checks will be sent out by category, so farmers may receive multiple checks depending on the category their losses fell into.
The categories are aquaculture, program crops, specialty crops, nurseries and infrastructure.
“Nursery crop payments will be made in two installments, with farmers receiving a partial payment in the first check,” Troxler said. “Farmers should look for information on the check stub, which details what category the check covers.”
To calculate the disaster payments, the county the farm is located in, the county average yield, state average price, county loss percentage and reported acreage were among the factors considered. Other known federal payments to farmers in 2024 were also considered.
If farmers have questions, they can contact the department at 866.747.9823, email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or check for Frequently Asked Questions under the Ag Disaster Crop Loss Program block on the department’s website at ncagr.gov.
