Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Congressman Bishop discuss future of agriculture at Fort Valley State University

"The reality is our farmers are aging," Congressman Sanford Bishop Jr. said.

FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The average age of a farmer is 58.

That’s according to United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Torres Small, who visited Fort Valley State University with Congressman Sanford Bishop, Jr. this week to talk with students and the college administration about the future of agriculture.

After speaking with the administration, the two held a news conference alongside Fort Valley State University President Paul Jones.

“The reality is our farmers are aging, and not as many young people are taking their places, and if we are going to maintain our stature in the world as far as agriculture, research and development and production, we’re going to have to have young people who get into the field with innovation and take us to the next level,” Bishop said.

“When we look at Fort Valley State University specifically, the Biden-Harris Administration has invested over 30 million dollars for research and opportunities for internships to support that next generation of agriculture,” Torres said.

“It is the number one industry in the State of Georgia, but we have an important role in ensuring the labor force is there, and we spend an awful lot of time really trying to share with students the importance of agriculture, but helping them understand what agriculture is today,” said Jones.

After the news conference, they sat down to speak with and listen to students.

The visit was part of Deputy Secretary Small’s multi-week college tour throughout the United States.