Hurricane Helene caused damage to more than 100 ag facilities in Georgia, from chicken houses to dairies.
The governor says that every single commodity in the state was impacted, with damages expected to be more costly than Hurricane Michael, which caused $2.5 billion in damages in Georgia alone.
This storm could not have come at a worse time!
“Economically, agriculture is in a really tough spot and now we are dealing with the devastation, the significant devastation of Hurricane Helene from Valdosta all the way to Augusta... We know that we have significant damage in the poultry industry with poultry houses that are either significantly damaged or completely destroyed. The majority of our cotton crop in that particular area is significantly damaged or 100% loss. You know, we have a lot of issues in our pecan crop and other tree nuts, a lot of damage to facilities, a lot of damage to our timber, and I know our friends at the Georgia Forestry Commission are starting their work to assess that damage. Our team at the Department of Agriculture is working to assess the damage as well,” Tyler Harper, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner, states.
The Georgia Cotton Commission says that growers are reporting yield losses ranging from 35% to total loss.
The storm also damaged cotton gins, equipment, and infrastructure.
They say that the state’s rural communities will feel the ripples of Hurricane Helene for years to come.
