Keaton PetersHelp is on the way for farmers impacted by recent hurricanes. In the wake of devastating storms that battered southeastern farms this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced more than $2.1 billion in new funding to help producers recover and strengthen the specialty crops sector nationwide.
The investment includes $2 billion for specialty crop marketing assistance and $140 million specifically to help farmers who lost critical storage infrastructure to natural disasters.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says that while the programs will serve producers across the country, they are particularly timely following Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton for farmers who “will face a difficult and long recovery.”
“The road ahead is challenging, but USDA is committed to helping producers get back on their feet,” Vilsack says.
The hurricanes’ impact on agriculture has been severe, with USDA already paying out nearly $1 billion in crop insurance claims just for hurricane and tropical storm damage in 2024. This includes $792 million through specialized hurricane insurance programs. Overall in 2024, the USDA has already issued over $6 billion in crop insurance indemnities, while additional disaster assistance has gone before Congress, including expanded Emergency Relief Program support.
The new Commodity Storage Assistance Program directly addresses one of the most pressing post-hurricane challenges: replacing damaged crop storage and processing infrastructure. The $140 million program will help producers access packinghouses, grain elevators, and other facilities necessary for marketing their crops.
To qualify, farmers must demonstrate that natural disasters disrupted their normal storage or marketing channels.
Meanwhile, the $2 billion Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops initiative aims to help fruit, vegetable and nut producers overcome market barriers and maintain strong domestic supply chains. The program recognizes the unique challenges these farmers face, including specialized temperature-controlled transport requirements and the need to move perishable products to market quickly.
The specialty crops program is not limited to farmers that have experienced disruptions from severe weather.
In its announcement, the USDA said final eligibility requirements and payment rates will be published soon, but producers can begin preparing by documenting their hurricane-related losses, storage needs and desired marketing assistance.
For southeastern producers still dealing with hurricane aftermath, USDA has also extended several key deadlines:
- Emergency Conservation Program signup now runs through June 1, 2025
- Emergency Forest Restoration Program applications accepted until June 1, 2025
These initiatives further expand USDA’s growing investment in specialty crops over the past year. The department launched a $65 million export assistance program in January 2024, followed by $72.9 million in Specialty Crop Block Grants announced last August. These investments have helped support the sector’s robust export performance, which reached $24.6 billion in fiscal year 2023.
Photo by Tom Fisk
