ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a new lifeline for Georgia farmers Wednesday, saying more than $500 million in Hurricane Helene relief will begin flowing within days.
Rollins delivered the news under the Gold Dome and paired it with a tough assessment of the farm economy.
“We know that this farm economy, even though it’s getting better, is still the worst we have seen in decades, perhaps in our lifetime,” Rollins said.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture says Hurricane Helene wiped out about a third of Georgia’s pecan and cotton crops and damaged 1.5 million acres of timber. The new federal block grant, totaling more than $500 million, is intended to help producers rebuild…