President Trump picks Sonny Perdue as U.S. secretary of agriculture
According to Reuters, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced Sonny Perdue as his choice for secretary of agriculture.
According to Reuters, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced Sonny Perdue as his choice for secretary of agriculture. Perdue, who was elected to two terms as governor of Georgia serving from 2003 to 2011, has yet to be confirmed in the post by the Republican-led Senate.
Key issues facing the agricultural community include trade and immigration. Georgia accounted for just 2% of total U.S. agriculture exports in 2015. Ranking 15th among all states in the value of its agricultural production, it generated $9.122 billion in commodity receipts, according to U.S. Dept. of Agriculture data.
Four of the past five agriculture secretaries have come from Midwest states. Perdue, if he is confirmed, would be the first from a southern state since Mike Espy, who was from Mississippi and served from January 1993 to December 1994.
Perdue would succeed Tom Vilsack, who left January 13.