Perdue, Nunn meet with Georgia Farm Bureau

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Georgia farmers want to know if they’ll be protected if their growing season isn’t successful.

Both candidates running to fill the U.S. Senate seat say that’s a priority on the agenda, and they want to see the farmers succeed.

Andy Lucas with the Georgia Farm Bureau says the state’s farmers are concerned.

“We need a good work force. We need a good strong commodity market, and we need to keep the products grown here in Georgia,” Lucas said. 

With only an hour separating their arrival, both Democrat Michelle Nunn and Republican David Perdue wanted to hear from farmers.

“As a (Georgia) Farm Bureau member today, I fully appreciate how important agriculture is to this state,” Perdue said. 

The two met separately with farm officials at the Georgia Farm Bureau offices in Macon.

Our cameras weren’t allowed inside of the meetings, but when they were finished both candidates say agriculture is big business in the state. 

“Right now we’ve got an overreaching regulatory environment that is really damaging our farmer, and we need to push that back and develop a longer term strategy about how to keep our farmers healthy,” Perdue said. 

“The ag community represents $70 billion to our economy with 450,000 people that are employed with the agricultural community and economy,” Nunn said.  

The two say should they be elected, they’d like to serve on the nation’s agricultural committee following the footsteps of current Senator Saxby Chambliss. 

“I believe that if you look at the long term benefits to the country of making sure you have a healthy farm industry, you have to do that to make sure it survives,” Perdue said. 

“I want to serve on the ag committee and also the armed services committee. I think those are too areas that are incredibly important to Georgia,” Nunn said. 

Nunn says the current farm bill is in the best interest of farmers, and thinks the legislation is an opportunity to grow. 

“They want to build upon the things that are in the Farm Bill like cultivating and nurturing the next generation of farmers,” Nunn said. 

Perdue disagrees. 

“On the farm side, I don’t think it went far enough to protect the interests of our farmers in Georgia,” he said. 

He and Perdue realize the importance of the booming agricultural industry, not only for middle Georgia, but worldwide. 

Officials with the Farm Bureau say they aren’t endorsing either candidate. They say their first priority is the farmers, and want to know which candidate will keep them protected. 

Nunn and Perdue will face off in the November elections.