Forsyth, Georgia (AP)-Georgia’s ruler signed a law on Thursday to exempt federal insurance for crops and disaster payments after Hurricane Helen was damaged by Georgia’s state income taxes, but this may be more than months before some federal funds for farmers in the most difficult states begin.
The US Department of Agriculture published a schedule on Wednesday to start disaster aid, part of a $ 100 billion package approved by Congress in December.
The September Storm cut an area of Big Bend in Florida via Eastern Georgia and seven South Carolina before causing historical floods in the western state of North Carolina and east of Tennessee.
Helen is the seventh largest expensive disaster in the United States since 1980, causing damage to $ 78 billion and 219 deaths.
Officials estimated that Helen caused billions of damage to the property and economics of agriculture, including $ 5.5 billion in Georgia and $ 4.9 billion in North Carolina.
In March, Federal officials began delivering a specific $ 10 billion in the country’s farmers ’bill due to the low prices of crops and the high prices of fertilizers. But other billions were allocated to farmers who were affected by Helen and other natural disasters in 2023 and 2024.
US Minister of Agriculture Brock Rollins was interrogated about the timeline on Tuesday by legislators including American Democratic Senator John Osov from Georgia. Rollins told “time is essence.”
“I have seen direct destruction,” Rollins said. “It is surprising that we are witnessing this.”
Some farmers have decreased to savings to pay for the losses that are not covered by insurance. Others have unpaid debts last year, borrowing restriction to plant 2025 crops. Few sold equipment or lands to generate money.
The table shows that federal officials will open requests for some aid in stages from May 30 to September 15. But the states must negotiate plans to distribute other aid by granting the mass. Federal officials said that if Federal officials agreed to a plan by May 28, the ban will be completed by June 13. If agreements can be reached by June 13, they will be completed by June 30. After that, countries should give money.
Georgia Agricultural Commissioner Tyler Harper said on Thursday that he does not know how much money will get Georgia to grant a block. He said that whether the state has taken the deadline on May 28 “depends on how our negotiations with the US Department of Agriculture are going on in the next two weeks.”
On Thursday, KEMP signed the tax exemptions of the laws and the owners of woods affected by Helen, which could be worth about $ 300 million.
“Farmers are working on very narrow margins and rebuilding from a storm of this size,” Kembe said at the headquarters of the Forest Association in Georgia in Forseth.
Tax exemptions are at the top of 867 million dollars in spending that legislators in Georgia had earlier allocated a relief to Hurin.
The law exempt federal payments for farmers due to Helen from Georgia State income taxes. It can be $ 140 million.
Georgia also allows the private Timberland owners demanding credit for damaged wood on state income taxes if they cultivate trees. The value of the tax break from Timberland may range from $ 83 million to $ 104 million until 2030, as estimated.
Other tax taxes are waived on local sales taxes on building materials to rebuild chicken, barn and fences.
The fourth program for provinces allows the waiver when wood owners reduce trees for 15 months. Any boycott that waives taxes will return any tax collected since October 1. The state can spend $ 17.4 million to pay the lost tax money for provinces.
Georgia’s lawmakers agreed earlier $ 285 million for low -benefit loans for farmers and removing trees that were dropped from private lands so as not to become a threat to the fire. There are also $ 25 million of grants to non -profit organizations that are supposed to go to help individuals.
In South Carolina, Republican Legislative leaders are discussing hundreds of millions in Helen relief as part of the state budget. Legitimacy in North Carolina has approved a $ 524 million complementary relief in March, to provide more money for agricultural needs. The fourth assistance package was in Carolina in North Carolina.
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