Today, Senator Reverend Warnock joined pecan growers in South Georgia to survey damage from severe weather and hear directly from farmers

Senator Reverend Warnock reaffirmed his commitment to securing federal disaster assistance for Georgia farmers impacted by severe weather and investing in their long-term success as Congress considers the Farm Bill

Lee County, Georgia — Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), a member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture committee, traveled to Albany and joined local growers on a pecan farm damaged by severe storms to highlight his commitment to South Georgia farmers—including his focus on securing federal disaster assistance to Georgia farmers impacted by these storms, and protecting permanent disaster assistance to provide relief following future natural disasters and stronger storms. The Senator toured the farm with Justin Jones, Owner of Jones Planting Company and Maryanne Brown, President of the National Pecan Federation. 

“Our farmers represent an answered prayer, for they give us our daily bread. So it’s these hard-working farmers, as well as the families they serve across our state, who I have in mind as I serve on the Farm Bill as a member of the Senate Agriculture committee—working to do all we can to help bring costs down, help increase support in times of crisis, and help farmers thrive,” said Senator Warnock following his visit.“We must protect farmers in the face of severe weather and increasingly disastrous storms—I know communities in South Georgia know too well the damage that Hurricane Idalia caused, for instance. Our climate is changing. Our farmers have been trying to adapt. But they need Congress to adapt to our new reality, too.”

“That is why earlier this year I introduced bipartisan legislation with Republican Senator Tillis of North Carolina to protect America’s orchardists and growers by reforming the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) – a critical farm safety net program,” continued Senator Warnock. “My legislation would help more farmers replant alternative, more resilient trees and bushes after disasters by expanding eligibility for federal relief. This legislation is good for Georgia’s economy and will help make the agriculture sector more resilient to climate change. I’m going to push to make sure this critical legislation is included in the Farm Bill.”

As a member of the Senate Agriculture committee, Senator Warnock has championed improving safety net programs for Georgia’s specialty crops and securing federal relief for producers following natural disasters. Earlier this year, Senator Warnock introduced the Protecting America’s Orchardists and Nursery Tree Growers Act with Senator Tillis to reform the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) to better work more efficiently, improve margins for producers, and help them compete with foreign imports. These reforms include lowering the mortality threshold to be in line with similar programs, expanding eligibility to include biennial crops and damage caused by pests, and allowing farmers more than 12 months to replant a crop. Additionally, the bill would allow farmers to replant with a more resilient breed so long as the cost is less than or equal to the original, allowing farmers to better respond to changing environmental conditions. Following Hurricane Idalia, Senator Warnock successfully secured passage of an amendment securing billions for Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Small Business Administration to address storm damage. In October, Senator Warnock joined Senator Ossoff in pressuring the Biden Administration to include additional funding for USDA disaster recovery in any forthcoming supplemental appropriations request.

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