Sen. Ossoff talks agricultural concerns with Ga farmers

TIFTON, Ga. (WALB) -Sen. Jon Ossoff visited farmers in Tifton Thursday to discuss plans to support the agriculture community.

“It was a great opportunity to connect with Georgia farmers and growers and understand their needs. And I will take these conversations and the quality time that we’ve spent together back to the senate and continue to be a champion for agriculture in the state of Georgia which feeds not just our state and the country, but the whole world,” he said.

Ossoff said the feedback he received will help him work on the Farm Bill which is legislation that started during the Great Depression that tends to pass every five years.

It expires next year unless it’s re-enacted.

“Well we want to make sure that next year’s farm bill is written to ensure Georgia farmers benefit,” Ossoff said.

Concerns brought to Ossoff included trade barriers in other countries and the ongoing pest issue, like whiteflies.

“Georgia farmers are struggling right now with many of the significantly elevated prices for key agricultural inputs. That’s a major challenge,” he said.

The Senator adds that farmers also struggle with increasing domestic demand and opportunities to promote their products.

“I’m going to continue these conversations. Continue to be responsive and accessible to Georgia farmers and growers,” he said.

Some farmers were eager to sit down and speak face to face with the Senator.

Miley Adams, president of the Georgia Pecan Growers Association, said the concern he brought up to Ossoff was tariff issues.

“Of course, we’ve got the tariff issue, and then we have a consumption and the imports of pecans coming from other countries that are feeding on the back of our promotional efforts and what we want to do and what we’re hoping to do is to receive some import tariff to help on promotion,” Adams said.

While Adams said Ossoff didn’t have a direct answer to his concerns, he appreciates the effort.

“He came in with the first word to say that ‘I don’t know everything. There’s a lot I don’t know and that’s what I want to find out and I’m good to research it and work towards getting some kind of solution for it and I’d rather him tell me that than say I’m going to take care of it,” he said. “I think the farmers will be willing to cooperate with him and try to give him as much information as he needs and that’s important.”

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