Congressman Sanford Bishop appointed as co-chair of Peanut Caucus

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) and Congressman Barry Moore (AL-01) re-registered the Congressional Peanut Caucus and will serve as the caucus’s bipartisan Democratic and Republican co-chairs, respectively.

It’s a bipartisan group of lawmakers that work to ensure policy issues related to peanut production management and marketing are considered in agricultural legislation. The Caucus also serves as a means by which its members can become familiar with peanut-related issues and express support for peanut growers, shellers, and manufacturers.

“As we continue to work on the next Farm Bill, it is crucial that the Congressional Peanut Caucus provides a strong voice and demonstrates the important role that the peanut industry plays in our country,” said Bishop.

The United States is the world’s fourth largest producer and third largest exporter of peanuts, with U.S. peanut production valued at $1.6 billion a year.

According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, over 4,900 farms in the U.S. grow 6.5 billion pounds of peanuts on 1.8 million acres. Currently, peanut production is concentrated in three major geographic areas of the United States: the Southeast (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina); the Southwest (New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Louisiana); and Virginia and North Carolina.

Congressman Bishop also told us they’re working on the next farm bill and shares the importance of passing it.

“It is essential because it is what allows our farmers to continue to produce somewhat of a level playing field. Economic conditions have been tough, we’ve had natural disasters that have really had an adverse impact on the economics in farm country all across the country and particularly in Georgia and Southwest Georgia. We desperately need that farm bill in order to enhance their capacity,” said Bishop.

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