Bill In Congress Would Bring Relief To Ga. Farmers Hit By Hurricane Michael

February 27th, 2019

A storm chaser in Florida films from underneath a hotel canopy during Hurricane Michael. The October storm caused more than $2.5 billion in losses in Georgia’s agriculture sector, according to the University of Georgia. U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue of Georgia introduced a bill that would bring billions of dollars in relief to farmers in the state and also to people affected by other natural disasters around the country.

Gerald Herbert / Associated Press file

Financial aid could be coming to Georgia farmers who are struggling to recover from Hurricane Michael.

On Tuesday, U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue introduced a bill that would bring billions of dollars in relief to farmers in the state and also to people affected by other natural disasters around the country.

According to the University of Georgia, the October storm caused more than $2.5 billion in losses in Georgia’s agriculture sector.

Georgia farmer Andy Bell spoke with WABE’s Molly Samuel on “All Things Considered.” Bell lost cotton, peanuts, pine timber, pecan trees and corn silage to the storm.

“The landscape of South Georgia is changed forever,” he said. “We just need some assistance to make up for that shortfall in the crop. Most everyone had a shortfall, and it’s trickled down through all the business.”

The bill introduced by the Georgia senators and others from Alabama, Florida, Alaska and North Carolina includes more than $13 billion in relief to people affected by natural disasters, including agriculture disaster relief for Georgia farmers and nutrition assistance for Puerto Rico.

“This legislation will provide critical funds to our farmers and producers who suffered significant agricultural losses in Georgia last year during Hurricane Michael,” Isakson said in a statement. “We are now close to planting season, and time is of the essence for the lives and livelihoods in the industry. We cannot overstate the importance of quickly passing this legislation to restore our agriculture community in Georgia.”