Sonny Perdue Hears from Farmers in New England

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue just completed another listening tour, this time traveling through New England.

The most pressing issue for farmers? Labor.

“American agriculture; dairy, vegetables, fruits, all those, would not be where they are today, will not be where they need to be tomorrow if we don’t have a guest worker program that’s legal that you can depend on.”

Perdue also stressed the importance of research to the agriculture industry and ag producers.

Another major topic was succession and how to encourage new farmers and ranchers.

“A lot of young farmers want to know how to get in and they can’t afford 1,000 acres, they can’t afford a $600,000 combine but they can afford a little bit. How can the USDA this next generation as we see farmers across the U.S. aging.”

The trip through New England was the second listening tour Perdue has taken in recent months as Ag Secretary.