News

Legislature adopts $311M disaster relief bill for farms

By Lightning Reports, Published: March 21, 2025

State Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler on Friday praised the state Legislature for passing "the start of an ag disaster assistance program" and vowed to direct nearly two-thirds of the $311 million relief bill to farms damaged by Hurricane Hurricane.

“We are working quickly at the department to put together the framework of the program to begin getting the $200 million out to farmers in Western N.C. and the $111 million out across the rest of the state," Troxler said in a news release. "We anticipate the program will closely mirror what we set up in 2018 with relief funding for Hurricane Florence and other tropical storms."
“I am especially grateful for the timing of this assistance because it will help farmers be able to put crops in the ground this season, something that many farmers were not sure could happen."

Troxler added that his office also is seeking disaster relief funding through a federal block grant through USDA.