The payments are part of a substantial $478 million allocation from a statewide bill, passed in March, that was primarily focused on Helene relief.
The legislative process began with the passage of the Disaster Recovery Act of 2024 (House Bill 149), which was signed into law by then-Governor Roy Cooper on October 10, 2024, to address initial recovery efforts. The most recent agricultural relief bill, which included the $478 million allocation for the agricultural community, was passed and signed into law by Governor Josh Stein in March 2025. This latter bill was a direct response to the widespread damage from Hurricane Helene but was designed to assist farmers who suffered verified losses from any declared agricultural disaster in 2024. This includes not only Helene but also a statewide drought, Tropical Storm Debby, and Potential Cyclone 8. This broader scope is why the state received more than 8,500 applications for aid.
The distribution of funds comes after months of detailed verification. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler acknowledged the challenges of this process, which has been the reason for the time it has taken to get the checks out.
"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,” Troxler said.
The checks are being sent out in batches, with the first payments going to farmers in Western North Carolina, the area hit hardest by Hurricane Helene. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture is continuing to process applications and will distribute additional funds to farmers with losses in other categories, including those from the drought and other storms.
The payments are carefully calculated based on a variety of factors, including the county of the farm, average crop yields, reported acreage, and other federal payments the farmer may have received. The state’s action provides a vital lifeline for North Carolina's agricultural sector, which suffered nearly $5 billion in losses from the cumulative effects of the 2024 weather events.
WNCTimes