Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue went to see firsthand the damage Hurricane Irma brought to Georgia and Florida agriculture.

Perdue toured pecan and cotton damage in Georgia Sept. 15, and on Sept. 18 saw Florida citrus damage and spoke with citrus, dairy and sugar producers affected by the storm in Clewiston, Fla.

“The impact is shocking and will be felt for many months,” said Perdue in a Sept. 13 statement. “In addition to efforts being made on the ground to assist producers, we have taken a hard look at our regular reporting requirements and adjusted them so producers can take care of pressing needs first and mostly deal with documentation and claims later.  President Trump’s directive is to help people first and deal with paperwork second.  And that’s what USDA is doing.”

Perdue plans Sept. 21 and 22 to visit Texas agricultural regions damaged by Hurricane Harvey.

Photos courtesy of USDA.