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Bipartisan support for farmer federal aid
As Milton pounds Florida, Georgia’s farmers are still accounting for the damage from Hurricane Helene. The floodwaters and winds wiped out fields of cotton, peanuts, and pecans. Republicans and Democrats are crossing party lines in asking for federal help for Georgia's farms.
As Florida experiences the worst of Hurricane Milton, Georgia’s farmers are still assessing the extensive damage left behind by Hurricane Helene.
The severe flooding and high winds destroyed large portions of Georgia’s cotton, peanut, and pecan crops, causing significant losses across the state.
RELATED: Georgia’s farmers take massive hit after Helene; ‘bomb blast’ could cost state billions
In a rare display of bipartisanship, both Republicans and Democrats have united in their call for federal assistance to support the recovery efforts.
Sen. Jon Ossoff highlighted the gravity of the situation.
"There is the risk of not just steep, but lasting damage to Georgia’s agriculture, our number one industry, if Congress fails to act swiftly," said Ossoff.
The damage to Georgia's agriculture is still being calculated, but the preliminary estimates are staggering.
According to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, one-third of the state’s cotton crop is considered a total loss. Nearly 30% of the peanut crop has been destroyed, and 50,000 pecan orchards have suffered serious damage. Additionally, over 200 chicken houses were affected, and roughly four million acres of timberland have been impacted.
State Senator Russ Goodman, a Republican, emphasized the emotional toll on farmers.
"I’m getting a lot of phone calls from farmers. Of course, you know, there’s a lot of heartbreak. Our farmers were already struggling," said Goodman.
While the full extent of the damage remains uncertain, Ossoff cautioned that the financial toll could be enormous.
"The bottom line is that the damage assessments are ongoing, and we won’t know the full toll until that process is complete. It would not surprise me if we’re talking an excess of $1 billion in damage to Georgia agriculture—possibly significantly more than that," he said.
In response to the crisis, 34 members of Georgia’s congressional delegation—both Republicans and Democrats—signed a letter addressed to House and Senate leaders, urging them to provide federal aid as soon as the damage assessments are finalized. Signatories range from Senator Raphael Warnock to Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
"Georgia is always better served when elected leaders of both parties put aside their partisan differences and come together to act in the national interest and our state’s interest," Ossoff added.
Governor Brian Kemp’s office announced that he will provide an update on the agricultural damage at 10 a.m. Thursday morning.