Ag Secretary Perdue Pledges USDA Support in Face of Heartland Flooding

WASHINGTON, May 4 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release:

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today pledged the full resources and support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in response to severe flooding occurring in many states across the center of the country. Representatives of relevant USDA agencies, including the Farm Service Agency, the Office of Rural Development, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, will be on the ground gathering information and assisting members of the agriculture community with their needs as they prepare to assess the damage.

Secretary Perdue issued the following statement:

"The people of the American agriculture community are made of hardy stock and can withstand their fair share of hardship, but just the same, they should know that their USDA stands with them during this natural calamity. We have seen levee breaks and flooding in the wake of storms, some of which have caused the loss of life, and USDA is ready to assist in any way we can. We have USDA employees in every county in this nation, and our people will be visible as they work to support people battling the flooding. As always, our thoughts and prayers are with our agriculture community, but our resources will be with them too."