US farmers issue warning as extreme weather causes $600 million crisis: 'As bad as, if not worse than, hurricanes'

US farmers issue warning as extreme weather causes $600 million crisis: 'As bad as, if not worse than, hurricanes'

Hurricane season is becoming increasingly devastating for Georgia's pecan farmers. Hurricane Idalia struck in 2023, followed by Helene the next year, which hit just as the harvest began. Rough Draft Atlanta reported nearly $580 million in statewide losses for the pecan industry, with storms destroying more than 397,000 trees across 48,000 acres. What's happening? Pecan trees take seven years to mature, so losing even one erases years of future i…