Sen. Perdue Holds Disaster Relief Roundtable With Georgia Farmers

DOERUN, Georgia, June 8 -- Sen. David Perdue, R-Georgia, issued the following news release:

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- Joins Secretary Perdue, Governor Kemp & More Than 150 Farmers & Agriculture Industry Leaders To Discuss Next Steps

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U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) joined U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, Governor Brian Kemp, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black, U.S. Representatives Sanford Bishop (D-GA-02) and Austin Scott (R-GA-08), and more than 150 farmers for a roundtable at Davis Family Farms in Doerun, Georgia. The group discussed the recent signing of critical disaster relief funding and next steps for Georgians impacted by Hurricane Michael.

After the United States Senate and House of Representatives passed a bipartisan disaster relief package, President Donald J. Trump signed the bill into law on June 6, 2019. Senator Perdue, U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), and the entire Georgia delegation fought for months to secure disaster aid for Georgia, which was devastated by Hurricane Michael in October 2018.

"This week, President Trump signed the disaster relief bill on Air Force One on the 75th Anniversary of D-Day," said Senator Perdue, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. "It's been eight months since Hurricane Michael blew through Georgia. I'm proud we were able to get this relief back to the farmers who have been devastated and to the local banks who have given our farmers patient help throughout these challenging months. There's no doubt our agricultural communities are the backbone of America. I'm so thankful to our Georgia farmers who are feeding our country and the entire world. We're here today to let you know we have your backs."

"When Hurricane Michael hit southwest Georgia last October, President Trump came down immediately to see the damage for himself," said Secretary Perdue. "This week, President Trump signed the disaster aid bill that would not have been possible without his leadership or the leadership of the Georgia members of Congress, like Senator Perdue. This aid will provide much needed support and resources to our producers and farmers here in Georgia. USDA stands ready to work with the state of Georgia to get this aid package implemented in weeks not months, in a fair and efficient way."

"Hurricane Michael affected us tremendously in our cotton crop and specialty crops. Most of our crops were a total loss after the hurricane," said Dick Minor, owner of Minor Brothers Farms. "We're so thankful for the hard work Senator Perdue did to get this disaster bill passed. These critical disaster relief funds will not stay in our accounts - they will flow to not only our farmers but everybody involved in our communities here in south Georgia."

"Our family farming operation lost about 60 percent of our cotton crop and a lot of infrastructure. Yet, west of us, a lot of guys lost 100 percent of their cotton crop," said Bart Davis, owner of Davis Family Farms. "Getting disaster assistance will take a lot of burden off our farmers. Without the leadership of Senator Perdue, Commissioner Black, Governor Kemp, Secretary Perdue, and Congressmen Bishop and Scott, this disaster relief would not have happened. This disaster package is not only for farmers, but it's for rural Georgia and rural America."

"This disaster relief is going to make a huge impact for all the farm families where I live," said Russ Goodman, owner of Cogdell Berry Farm. "I'm a seventh generation farmer. I grow blueberries, and our crop was hit in both 2017 and 2018. It's been very detrimental to our economy here in Southwest Georgia. I just want to thank Senator Perdue and all of our representatives for passing this disaster bill, because it's going to be a lifesaver for our rural communities."

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Click here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vk8eJjBtD0&feature=youtu.be) to watch highlights from the roundtable with more than 150 Georgia farmers. Click here (https://flic.kr/s/aHsmE7NNfX) to download photos.