Impact of Hurricane Helene on U.S. Agriculture

By Tom Polansek
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Hurricane Helene caused significant disruptions to poultry and cotton production in the U.S. this week, shutting down at least two poultry plants in Georgia and North Carolina, while also damaging cotton crops in South Carolina.

The storm, which resulted in over 100 fatalities across several states, hit Florida’s Big Bend region and then proceeded to affect Georgia and the Carolinas.

Wayne-Sanderson Farms, the third largest poultry producer in the U.S., had to close its processing plant in Moultrie, Georgia due to power loss from downed transmission lines. The plant processes 1.3 million chickens weekly, and operations will resume once Georgia Power restores electricity. The company is supplying fuel to local farms that experienced power outages.

In South Carolina, many poultry operations are relying on backup generators, according to Eva Moore from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. The state’s cotton crops faced severe damage, with open bolls affected and plants twisted, complicating the upcoming harvest and potentially impacting cotton grades.

In North Carolina, Smithfield Foods reported stress on hog production transportation but no significant disruptions. However, a chicken plant near Morganton is currently closed, although the poultry sector remained relatively fortunate as feed mills continued operating and floods did not majorly impact farms. As a result, live chickens in the region will just gain weight until processing resumes, likely by Wednesday.