U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden announced on Friday the approval of a $221.2 million disaster assistance grants for North Carolina farmers recovering from Hurricane Helene. The grant is part of a broader federal effort to support agricultural producers impacted by recent natural disasters.

During a visit to Asheville, Vaden signed a block grant agreement with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), which will administer the federal funding. The money will cover a wide range of qualifying losses, this includes infrastructure and timber damage, market losses, and projected revenue losses in future years.

The funding is part of the $30 billion disaster relief package authorized by the American Relief Act of 2025, which was signed into law by President Biden in December 2024. North Carolina is one of 14 states receiving block grants tailored to state-specific recovery needs.

“Today’s announcement is about delivering on our promise to stand shoulder to shoulder with America’s farmers in times of need,” Vaden said. “By signing this block grant with North Carolina, USDA is ensuring that producers have the resources to rebuild stronger after Hurricane Helene.”

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins praised the USDA’s coordination with state officials and reiterated the Trump administration’s commitment to assisting farmers across the Southeast.

“America’s farmers and ranchers across the Southeast and in North Carolina have been hit hard and suffered significant economic losses during 2024,” Rollins said. “President Trump has our farmers’ backs, and we are working quickly to get these much-needed relief funds to those who need to rebuild.”

North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said the funding will help fill critical gaps in existing disaster programs and provide a lifeline to producers still reeling from Helene’s devastation.

“This $221.2 million federal disaster assistance block grant for agricultural damage due to Hurricane Helene is welcome news to North Carolina farmers who have been holding on in the aftermath of massive ag losses in 2024,” Troxler said. “We are grateful for USDA’s continued efforts and their willingness to partner with us on this much-needed assistance.”

Producers should look out for additional details from the NCDA&CS on how they can apply for assistance.

In July, the USDA also announced additional disaster aid for farmers in Virginia and Florida. The agency has already delivered more than $1 billion through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) and over $8 billion in direct payments under the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) to help mitigate impacts from wildfires, drought, and falling commodity prices in 2023 and 2024.

Farmers and producers can track the status of USDA disaster relief efforts and program eligibility through the Supplemental Disaster Assistance public landing page at fsa.usda.gov.