AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – State leaders call agriculture the lifeblood of South Carolina, and this has been a difficult year for farmers in the Palmetto State.

Between Helene, Debby and the summer drought, state officials estimate South Carolina farmers have lost more than $600 million this year.

South Carolinians’ recovery from Hurricane Helene will need a combination of federal, state and local resources, as well as help from nonprofit organizations, officials say.

They aim to bring together those in the agriculture industry for a series of events starting Friday in Aiken.

“If you’re looking for help and you don’t know where to go, then you don’t know where to go either. But if you know where to go, most of the time you have to go to this side of town, then go to another town, then go somewhere else,” said Gov. Henry McMaster.

McMaster says it’s a tough situation officials don’t want farmers in South Carolina to find themselves in.

Agriculture leaders say no farmers in the Palmetto State have escaped losses this year.

That’s why state leaders launched “Farm and Forest Recovery Resource Days,” which McMaster attended Friday in Aiken.

“This is answering their questions, and a person who knows the answers gives them the answers,” he said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency was among nearly two dozen agencies on the scene Friday.

The federal agency says South Carolinians (both farmers and non-farmers) harmed by Helene still have time to apply for aid.

“This assistance can be used for basic home repairs, temporary lodging,” said Nikki Gaskins Campbell, FEMA media relations specialist. “If you are a farmer and your equipment is damaged, you can also get help with possible fuel this way.”

FEMA announced it has approved more than $221 million in aid to more than 216,000 households in South Carolina after Helene.

“FEMA assistance is never designed to return someone to their pre-disaster condition or make them whole,” Gaskins Campbell said. “However, we can help them get back on their feet.”

McMaster is optimistic that more help will arrive soon.

Last week, he wrote a letter to South Carolina’s Congressional delegation requesting additional aid, especially for the vital agricultural industry.

“I think $631 million is being requested by FEMA to do the same thing for farmers and forest on the home and business side of the equation,” he said.

Two more welding days will be held in Greenville and Myrtle Beach in the coming weeks.

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