Dear Georgia Pecan Growers,
The past few days have been incredibly challenging and devastating for our pecan growers in East Georgia. The Georgia Pecan Growers Association (GPGA) is actively collaborating with The Redding Firm and the National Pecan Federation (NPF) to secure disaster relief. Our efforts include advocating for disaster assistance, block grants, a new pecan yield exclusion, and special Tree Assistance Program (TAP) provisions for the 2024 crop. Similar to our work after Hurricane Michael, GPGA and NPF are pushing to expedite support for growers impacted by Hurricane Helene.
We are also conducting educational tours and sharing critical information with congressional offices to ensure that members of Congress fully understand the extent of the damage to our industry. Additionally, GPGA and NPF are working closely with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to facilitate debris clearing so growers can better assess their losses. As soon as more information becomes available, we will promptly update all growers.
The University of Georgia (UGA) extension teams have already begun assessing the damage and collecting data from the storm. This process is expected to take a few weeks. According to Dr. Lenny Wells, early reports from growers suggest a 70% loss for older trees (40-50 years and up) and around a 40% loss for younger trees. By “loss,” we mean trees completely uprooted. Although these numbers are preliminary, they seem consistent with what was observed following Hurricane Michael. Some growers have reported only five or six trees left standing, while others have none.
Communication in the affected counties remains limited due to widespread damage to cell service and power infrastructure. Once conditions improve, UGA will coordinate with extension agents to provide more accurate loss estimates.
The Georgia Pecan Growers Association stands ready to assist any grower affected by Hurricane Helene. If you need support, please reach out to us by email at [email protected] or call (912)-520-0744. We are here to help in any way we can.
Sincerely,
Georgia Pecan Growers Association
Main photo: Moses Pecan in Uvalda, Georgia, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Photo: Georgia Pecan Growers Association
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