by North Carolina’s Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler from his January column “From the Tractor” for the department’s monthly newsletter the Agricultural Review:

As we start 2025, I can tell you that 2024 will remain a big part of this new year as work continues to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene. Agriculture across our state took a big hit in 2024.

We have been working with N.C. State University economists, cooperative extension agents, soil and water districts, FSA offices, USDA information and others to determine estimated losses, and that number statewide is over $4.8 billion.

That’s the worst agricultural damage that we have experienced in North Carolina. Of that, $4.23 billion was from Hurricane Helene, and $696 million was from the summer drought and tropical storms.

That number includes the loss of equipment, buildings, infrastructure and crops. Crop loss alone from Hurricane Helene was $907.62 million.

These damage estimates in the wake of these storms don’t include agritourism, which is also significant for Western N.C. in particular.

Without question 2024 has been one of THE most challenging years for agriculture. We were already facing millions of dollars in ag losses from the summer droughts and heavy rains from tropical storms when Hurricane Helene bulldozed through Western N.C.

Since the storms, I have encouraged our Congressional delegation to push for passage of a Farm Bill that includes disaster assistance. Federal funding will be critical to recovery in Western N.C. because of the magnitude and scope of damage.

I recently spoke at the legislature to the House Agriculture Committee to talk about the need for disaster assistance for farmers and why agriculture cannot afford to wait.

Representatives and farmers from around a dozen commodity groups spoke first and shared their stories and the impact these losses would likely have in the future if disaster assistance did not come through for agriculture.

As a farmer, it’s gut wrenching to hear these stories and realize it could be you facing the loss of your livelihood and everything you have worked hard for.

We heard from farmers whose land washed away down to the bedrock; thousands of Christmas trees, apples trees and nursery stock washed away in a matter of minutes; and silt and sand burying productive farmland.

I have said many times since Helene hit that recovery is going to be a long road and hearing some of the stories only reinforced that and the need for disaster assistance now.

We know many growers in Western N.C. produce specialty crops with limited federal insurance options.

I have requested over $1 billion in disaster assistance that would include money for farm losses statewide this year. In that request is $357.36 million to cover uninsured crop losses from Helene and $174 million to cover 25% of crop losses in non-Helene counties.

I know that is a big ask in the face of many other needs in Western N.C., but we stand to lose a number of farmers without some assistance to help them get their feet back on the ground.

I am hopeful that the legislature will direct meaningful funding to help offset some of these monumental agricultural losses.

Photo above courtesy of the NC Farm Bureau