Letters: Perdue will be good for SC agriculture
Agriculture Secretary nominee Sonny Perdue reassured the Senate Agriculture Committee at his March 23 confirmation hearing that he understands and appreciates the importance of trade for farmers, as well as the many essential programs in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His testimony should give hope to rural S.C. communities.
As governor of Georgia, Perdue demonstrated his loyalty and commitment to agriculture by working to increase efficiency despite a declining state agriculture budget. At his hearing, Perdue said he would use this experience to mitigate the 21 percent cut the Trump administration proposed to the Agriculture Department budget. We should see the same business-minded reforms as we saw in Georgia. This will help reinvigorate our agriculture sector.
Sonny Perdue will excel as secretary of agriculture as he understands the needs of the modern economy and would run the agency like a flourishing business. President Trump has made a wise choice in Perdue.
Tim Mallard
Charleston
This story was originally published April 12, 2017 at 5:37 PM with the headline "Letters: Perdue will be good for SC agriculture."