Warnock, Ossoff push for assistance to Ga. agriculture industry

WASHINGTON (WRDW/WAGT) - On Monday, Sens. Raphael Warnock and Rick Scott urged congressional leaders to approve an agriculture supplemental disaster package that meets the needs of farmers and ranchers in Georgia and Florida after two years of devastating natural disasters. 

“Both of our states have been heavily impacted by natural disasters over the last two years, leaving farmers and ranchers with decimated crops and wrangled infrastructure. Most recently, Georgia’s cotton, pecan, and timber crops were flattened by Hurricane Helene, and Florida’s citrus and vegetable crops were devasted after Hurricane Milton,” wrote Warnock, D-Ga., and Scott, R-Fla.

Georgia’s agriculture and forestry industries were left reeling in Helene’s wake, with about one-third of the state’s pecan and cotton crops destroyed, more than 100 poultry houses damaged or destroyed, and 1.5 million acres of timber damaged or destroyed.

Georgia’s agricultural economy faces an unprecedented estimated $7.15 billion in total damage.

Meanwhile, Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is working to help farmers and ranchers by ensuring medical care for their livestock.

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He previously testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations about the urgent need to Georgia agriculture after the devastating impacts of Helene. He pressed both parties on the urgency of ing agricultural disaster assistance for Georgia before the end of the year.

Then on Monday, he launched a push to the bipartisan Rural Veterinary Workforce Act to help address the veterinary shortage across Georgia.

The bipartisan bill would eliminate the income withholding tax on each individual Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program award, which would allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase the number of awards made to Georgia veterinarians.

“Georgia communities depend on access to veterinary care — especially our farmers and ranchers,” Ossoff said.

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