Congressman Sanford Bishop

Representing the 2nd District of Georgia

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

RANKING MEMBER BISHOP’S OPENING STATEMENT ON USDA DISASTER RECOVERY ROLE

Nov 29, 2017 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, delivered the following opening statement earlier today during the subcommittee’s hearing on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) role in current disaster recovery efforts.
 
Video and background on the subcommittee hearing can be found here. Hearing witnesses included:

ADVISORY: USDA DISASTER ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR FARMS IMPACTED BY HURRICANE IRMA

Nov 15, 2017 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, in accordance with Section 321(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, sent a letter this week designating 83 counties within the State of Georgia as primary disaster areas due to the impacts of Hurricane Irma.
 

TOMORROW: CONGRESSMAN BISHOP TO SPEAK AT USDA POULTRY LAB GROUNDBREAKING

Nov 2, 2017 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tomorrow, November 3, 2017, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, will attend and deliver remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new research facility at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Poultry Research Center in Athens, Georgia.
 
The ceremony is set to begin at 10:00am. Congressman Bishop will be delivering remarks at 10:30am. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue will also be speaking at the groundbreaking.

CONGRESSMAN SANFORD BISHOP ANNOUNCES RURAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS IN MIDDLE AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

Sep 27, 2017 Press Release
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 over $6.5 million in funding to the City of Butler, as well as an $8,248 grant to Brumbelow Foods in Randolph County, both located in the 2nd Congressional District of Georgia. 
 

CONGRESSMAN BISHOP STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF FORMER GEORGIA AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER TOMMY IRVIN

Sep 15, 2017 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, released the following statement regarding the passing of Tommy Irvin, who served as Georgia’s Agriculture Commissioner for 42 years. 
 

CONGRESSMAN BISHOP AND AGRICULTURE SECRETARY PERDUE TO TOUR HURRICANE FARM DAMAGE IN MIDDLE AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

Sep 14, 2017 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, September 15, 2017, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue will tour hurricane damage to farms in Georgia, including Mason Pecans in the Second Congressional District of Georgia.
 
Congressman Bishop and Secretary Perdue will visit Mason Pecans in Fort Valley, Georgia at 12:15pm.
 

ADVISORY: AVAILABILITY OF USDA ASSISTANCE FOR FARMERS IMPACTED BY HURRICANE IRMA

Sep 14, 2017 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers several disaster assistance programs through the Farm Service Agency (FSA), which may be available to farmers impacted by Hurricane Irma.
 

RANKING MEMBER SANFORD BISHOP JOINS CONGRESSMAN JIMMY PANETTA IN AGRICULTURE TOUR OF CENTRAL COAST OF CALIFORNIA

Aug 25, 2017 Press Release
SALINAS, CA – This week, Congressman Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, joined Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) in the central coast of California to tour agriculture facilities, meet with producers and farmworkers, and learn more about the over 100 specialty crops grown in California’s 20th congressional district.
 

RANKING MEMBER BISHOP CALLS FOR PRESIDENT TO TAKE ACTION TO STABILIZE COTTON INDUSTRY

Jul 18, 2017 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, and 108 of his colleagues sent a letter to the President urging him to take action to stabilize the cotton industry by expanding the Cotton Ginning Cost Share Program to operate on an ongoing basis.
 

RANKING MEMBER BISHOP’S STATEMENT ON SUBCOMMITTEE PASSAGE OF FY 2018 AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATIONS BILL

Jun 28, 2017 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, released the following statement regarding the subcommittee's passage of its Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 spending bill:
 

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