Agriculture Undersecretary for Food Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie is among those who acknowledge a full scope of damages is weeks, even months away, yet there are preliminary indications how farms and forests in the impact zones fared. The undersecretary, at a recent federal post hurricane response briefing, said from a federal crop insurance perspective…
“Our crop insurance program has 20,000 policies for farmers in the path of the storm. Biggest hit for corn, soybeans, cotton, peanuts and orchards. Those policies cover about $7 billion in liability.”
Further breaking down specific crops and locales where hurricane damage is expected…
“In Georgia, lots of pecans. Other parts of North Carolina: apples, other orchards there. Florida, citrus, it’s been spread or fruits and vegetables in Florida. Georgia, cotton, corn, soybeans, more traditional commodities.”
Regarding livestock in the Helene impact zones…
“There’s significant impacts to livestock as well, particularly poultry. There are dozens, dozens of poultry houses that have been knocked down. Likewise, livestock operations.”
The Under Secretary explains some of USDA is response efforts for ag impacted producers and operations. Those include…
“Our Farm Service Agency is streamlining our programs requiring less documentation from farmers, removing some of the environmental requirements so that we can help farmers with livestock, orchards, uninsured crops and other things (in a more expedient manner). Our Natural Resources Conservation Service is working to make conservation programs (and) emergency Environmental Quality Incentive Program funding available.”
To assist with both cleanup and restoration of lands and watersheds, while some USDA Service Centers in impact areas face both power outages and local staff impacted by such, efforts are underway to not only restore service at those offices, but as well…
“Our expectation is in the days and weeks ahead, we will surge staff from headquarters and elsewhere to those offices to satisfy increased demand.”
Under Secretary Bonnie adds Helene-impacted producers also have a phone resource for assistance.
FSA has a call center, 877-508-8364, that farmers can reach out to.