Agriculture
Georgia’s farmers, ranchers, and producers are the backbone of our state’s most important industry: agriculture. As the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Co-Chair of the Congressional Peanut Caucus, I am a staunch supporter of the agricultural community in Georgia's Second Congressional District and the entire nation. I support assistance to farmers affected by drought, wildfires, and other natural disasters that occur each year. In addition, I have worked to ensure that the peanut support program remained strong in the 2014 Farm Bill; strengthen our nation's nutrition programs; reform the H2-A program for non-immigrant agricultural workers; bolster child nutrition programs in our nation’s schools; prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from imposing burdensome regulations on agriculture; ensure that Mexican tomatoes and chicken do not drive down the prices of U.S.-produced tomatoes and chicken due to illegal dumping; and advance agricultural research, food safety initiatives, and broadband services to rural communities.
More on Agriculture
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack designated an additional three counties within the State of Georgia as primary natural disaster areas due to severe drought conditions. These counties include Terrell County and Taylor County, located in Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District, as well as Warren County, located between Atlanta and Augusta.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the next phase of its 2016 National Resources Inventory-Conservation Effects Assessment Project (NRI-CEAP). The USDA will be surveying 16,000 farmers and ranchers until February 2017 to document conservation and production practices. This survey will help USDA develop voluntary, science-based solutions and incentives for improving conservation at farms and ranches.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Sanford Bishop is pleased to share that USDA has extended the end of the 2016 grazing period for the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) from October 31 to December 1, 2016. The grazing period helps determine eligibility for LFP assistance for those farmers impacted by drought. This decision follows a discussion last Friday between Congressman Bishop and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack regarding drought conditions in Southwest and Middle Georgia counties.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack, in accordance with Section 321(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, sent a letter last week designating three counties within the State of Georgia as contiguous disaster areas due to recent drought conditions in Georgia and Alabama. These designated areas include Chattahoochee, Muscogee, and Stewart counties in Georgia.
Washington, DC- Congressman Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (GA-02), is pleased to announce that the Rural Development agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved $14.3 million in project development grants and loans to five recipients in the 2nd Congressional District of Georgia. These recipients include the Fort Gaines Police Department, the Ellaville Police Department, Pataula Charter Academy, the Development Authority of Macon County, and South Georgia Technical College.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (GA-02), Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, has been selected to receive the Friend of Farm Bureau Award for his dedication to serving America’s farmers and ranchers. Congressman Bishop was nominated by the Georgia State Farm Bureau and approved by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Board of Directors.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), and Elise Stefanik (R-NY) led 98 other Members in a letter to U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez and Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services León Rodriguez regarding the administrative breakdown in the timely processing of H-2A agricultural worker program applications and visa petitions.
WASHINGTON, D.C. ─ Today, Congressman Sanford Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, welcomed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) creation of the new Cotton Ginning Cost Share Program in order to expand and maintain the domestic marketing of cotton. Through the new program, cotton producers will be able to reduce their costs for the 2015 crop by an estimated $300 million nationwide.
ALBANY, GA – Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) welcomed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement of a Federal Marketing Order (FMO) for pecans grown in 15 states, a self-help program funded by the pecan industry and administered by a new 17-member American Pecan Council for the benefit of the industry.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Member of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after the full Appropriations Committee approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill. The government spending bill now goes to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for its consideration.