The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) has begun distributing the first checks to farmers who applied for disaster assistance through the 2024 Ag Disaster Crop Loss program. The initial payments have been sent to farmers in Western North Carolina, with additional checks scheduled to be distributed in the coming weeks.
This financial relief is part of a total of $478 million allocated by the North Carolina General Assembly earlier this year to assist farmers across the state. The funds aim to address nearly $5 billion in agricultural losses suffered in 2024 due to Hurricane Helene, a drought, Tropical Storm Debby, and Potential Cyclone 8. An additional $25 million was approved for infrastructure losses through separate legislation, with further application details for this portion expected later.
“Getting disaster relief out to our devastated ag community has been a priority for the department, and I appreciate farmers’ patience as we have worked through the process of verifying damage and losses and processing the over 8,500 applications we received,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “I want to thank members of the General Assembly for recognizing the urgency behind these funds and for continuing to support our ag community in the aftermath of the worst ag disaster this state has experienced.”
According to Troxler, checks are being distributed by loss category. Farmers may receive multiple payments if their losses fall into more than one category or if they operate farms in different counties. The categories include aquaculture, program crops, specialty crops, nurseries (such as fruit trees, Christmas trees, and turf), and infrastructure costs that are still being evaluated.
“Nursery crop payments will be made in two installments, with farmers receiving a partial payment in the first check,” Troxler explained. “Farmers should look for information on the check stub, which details what category the check covers.”
The calculation of disaster payments considered several factors: farm location by county, county average yield, state average price, county loss percentage, reported acreage, and any known federal payments already received by farmers during 2024.
Farmers seeking more information can contact NCDA&CS at 866-747-9823 or via email at agdisaster@ncagr.gov. Frequently Asked Questions about the Ag Disaster Crop Loss Program are also available on www.ncagr.gov.
