Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue took over the reins as secretary of agriculture on Tuesday, after the Senate confirmed his appointment with support from U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Hoeven (R-ND) and Thom Tillis (R-NC).
Perdue’s knowledge of agriculture has been shaped by his work as a former farmer, agribusinessman, veterinarian, state legislator and governor of Georgia.
Ernst, a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, said farmers and ranchers will have an ally leading the U.S. Department of Agriculture following Perdue’s confirmation that drew bipartisan support.
“In our conversations, I stressed to Gov. Perdue the need to rollback burdensome regulations that have hindered our agricultural producers for too long,” Ernst said. “Gov. Perdue not only committed to me that he will work with other agencies to find solutions, but that he will be an advocate on behalf of farmers, and not for Washington bureaucrats. I look forward to working with Gov. Perdue to cut red tape for Iowa’s agricultural industry, while also promoting our agricultural bounty abroad, and collaborating on the next farm bill.”
During the confirmation process, Hoeven secured commitments from Perdue to support strong crop insurance options, update Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), to support a no-cost sugar program, and to bring flexibility to school nutrition programs.
“I look forward to working with Secretary Perdue to support our nation’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” Hoeven, a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee and the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, said.
“Secretary Perdue has committed to advancing the priorities of our producers, including building a strong coalition to pass the next farm bill and providing support for rural communities during these tough times in the farm patch,” Hoeven said.
Tillis, meanwhile, said he would be actively engaged in discussions on the next farm bill to give North Carolina the support and flexibility needed to realize its goal to grow a $100 billion agriculture industry.
“When I met with Secretary Perdue earlier this year, I was heartened by his knowledge of agriculture and his passion for this important industry,” Tillis said. “North Carolina is a significant contributor to America’s agricultural output and I am confident that Secretary Perdue will be a wonderful addition to the president’s cabinet and a perfect fit for USDA.”
Recent growing seasons have been hard, Tillis added, and farmers have also faced near-historic low prices, natural disasters and increased labor costs.
“Notwithstanding current economic challenges, the American agricultural sector is resilient and impressive,” Tillis said. “Our farmers are the most efficient in the world and their productivity is the main reason Americans spend such a low percentage of their income on food. Given that global food demand is expected to increase substantially by 2050, the world cannot afford for American agriculture to decline.”
The next farm bill needs to build off the successes of the last bill and make reforms to programs that need additional work, Tillis added.