(Washington, D.C., July 28, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced additional U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) assistance to help producers in the Commonwealth of Virginia recover from Hurricane Helene. Secretary Rollins signed a block grant agreement with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) that provides recovery assistance for Virginian farmers. Virginia is the second state to receive this disaster aid. Last week, Secretary Rollins announced the first disaster block grant in Florida.
In this agreement, VDACS is receiving $60.9 million in funding to administer a program covering infrastructure, timber, and plasticulture losses in addition to market losses and future economic losses. This funding is part of the $30 billion disaster assistance relief effort authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025. USDA is working with 14 different states, including Virginia, to develop and implement block grants to address the unique disaster recovery needs for each state.
“President Trump is making government work faster and better for the people it serves. At USDA we saw the devastating impact recent natural disasters had on our nation’s agricultural lands and infrastructure. Together with the Commonwealth of Virginia, we expedited the implementation of this disaster assistance so Virginia’s finest farmers, ranchers, and foresters can get back on their feet and continue to nobly feed and clothe our nation and the world,” said Secretary Rollins.
“Hurricane Helene left a lasting impact on Virginia’s agricultural and forestry communities, especially in Southwest and Southside, destroying crops and livestock, damaging infrastructure, and threatening the economic stability of families and small businesses across the region. This recovery funding is a critical step in helping Virginians get back on their feet. Through this block grant partnership with USDA, we’re ensuring that farmers and forestland owners who haven’t received other assistance finally get the direct support they deserve. My administration is committed to standing with our producers and delivering real results for Virginia’s rural communities,” said Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.
“This block grant opportunity represents critical, direct support for agricultural and forestry operations that suffered significant losses that were not eligible through other assistance programs. From damaged infrastructure to unharvested crops and unrecoverable timber, these impacts are real, and so is our response. We’re grateful for this federal partnership, which will help ensure Virginia producers can restore operations and remain productive contributors to their communities and the Commonwealth,” said Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr.
USDA, Governor Glenn Youngkin’s office in Virginia, and VDACS have finalized a grant agreement that will cover qualifying losses not addressed by other USDA disaster programs. Producers should look for additional program information available through the VDACS.
Additional USDA Supplemental Disaster Assistance
USDA remains committed to implementing the remaining disaster assistance provided by the American Relief Act, 2025 (The Act). On July 10, Secretary Rollins launched Stage 1 of the two-stage Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) assistance to producers incurred losses of revenue, quality or production of crops due to weather related events in 2023 and 2024. To date, more than $1 billion in Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) assistance has been delivered to livestock producers impacted by drought and wildfire in 2023 and 2024. USDA has also provided $7.8 billion so far in direct payments through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) to help agricultural producers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices. Visit the 2023/2024 Supplemental Disaster Assistance public landing page to track the status of USDA disaster assistance. The page is updated regularly and accessible through fsa.usda.gov.