RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina farmers and agricultural producers are set to receive more than $400 million in federal assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as part of a series of initiatives aimed at helping the state recover from natural disasters and strengthen its agricultural economy.

In a keynote address at the Ag Allies Conference held at NC State University last week, USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden outlined multiple programs benefiting North Carolina’s producers.

One program that is particularly important to North Carolina farmers, according to Vaden, is the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops.

“This provides financial assistance to the many specialty crop producers here in North Carolina to expand domestic markets for their crops.”

According to Vaden, North Carolina’s specialty crop producers have already benefited from nearly $64 billion through the program.

Vaden also highlighted the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, which provides aid for producers impacted by weather-related events in 2023 and 2024.

“North Carolina thus far has received nearly $140 million under that program,” he said.

Vaden also had a message to farmers in both North and South Carolina, saying that the Trump administration has their back.

“When monies become available because of natural disasters or other harms that farmers face, we’re going to get them out as quickly as possible with a minimum of bureaucracy, in a direct deposit to your checking account,” Vaden said.

One way that this is being seen in real time is the recent announcement of a $220 million block grant from the USDA to North Carolina, intended to address long-term damages caused by Hurricane Helene, which struck the state one year ago.

Vaden recalled signing the agreement with North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler during a visit to the Mountain State Fair on Sept. 5.

“All the programs I have gone through that are focused on disasters, they focus on the most immediate needs,” Vaden said. “But we know that when a once-in-a-lifetime event like Hurricane Helene hits, there are losses that are much deeper and not as easy to cover under existing programs.”

The new block grant is designed to help producers recover from those deeper losses, that would cover any destroyed infrastructure, the loss of downed, unharvestable trees, educational support, and future economic losses tied to missed marketing opportunities.

“We are currently working with the commissioner and his office on the details of how these monies will be rolled out,” Vaden said. “We are excited to have that work plan come out in the coming days so these monies can begin the process of making North Carolina’s producers whole for all the historic harms they suffered from the hurricane.”

Vaden emphasized that USDA’s focus is not just on disaster recovery but also on long-term agricultural stability and sustainability.

“Long story short: We at USDA are focused on both the past and the present and seeing to it that North Carolina’s producers are able to be there — not just this year but next year — to grow the food, fiber and fuel that all of us depend on each and every day,” he said.