Atlanta, Ga - Today, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper released the following statement calling on Congress to pass disaster relief for farmers and producers impacted by Hurricane Helene and economic assistance for farm families across the state.
“From soaring input costs to low commodity prices, the expiration of the Farm Bill, and devastating natural disasters, these past few years have been some of the hardest for our farm families in our nation’s history. We have worked around the clock to do everything in our power to get our farm families back on their feet, and thanks to the diligent work of those members of Congress who are fighting on behalf of agriculture, including a number of those in our congressional delegation, it is my understanding that a deal on disaster assistance and economic relief has been reached and will be released later today.
However, while the destruction and devastation from Hurricane Helene are still all too raw and real in Georgia, some politicians in DC have been using agriculture as a pawn and apparently don’t seem to care about the farm families that deliver the food, fiber, and shelter that this country relies on every day. The continued success of our farm families, our nation’s national security, and our consumers, who will benefit from lower prices at the grocery store, all depend on Congress passing significant disaster relief and economic assistance.
It is time for Washington, D.C. to do its job, and it is imperative that our entire congressional delegation support these measures to ensure our farm families remain strong and consumers can continue to enjoy the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply in the world. The eyes of Georgia and the nation are watching—and it cannot afford to wait any longer.”