U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced additional U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) assistance to help producers in the Commonwealth of Virginia recover from Hurricane Helene. Secretary Rollins signed a block grant agreement with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) that provides recovery assistance for Virginian farmers. Virginia is the second state to receive this disaster aid. Last week, Secretary Rollins announced the first disaster block grant in Florida.
In this agreement, VDACS is receiving $60.9 million in funding to administer a program covering infrastructure, timber, and plasticulture losses in addition to market losses and future economic losses. This funding is part of the $30 billion disaster assistance relief effort authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025. USDA is working with 14 different states, including Virginia, to develop and implement block grants to address the unique disaster recovery needs for each state.
Click here to see more...