U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff visited the Georgia Citrus Farms, alongside JoNina Farm on Monday afternoon to hear directly from citrus growers as he works with Congress to draft this year’s Farm Bill. 

Ossoff said that the discussions had would help him make sure that the fast growing citrus sector of the state would be properly represented as work began on the Farm Bill.

“I’m here as we begin to work on the Farm Bill. Every five years, Congress takes on a major agricultural policy measure,” he said. “I’m here to make sure that Georgia’s fast growing citrus sector is represented as we pick up the Farm Bill in the Senate.”

He said the discussions ranged from research invested into protecting the citrus industry from pests and diseases and aiding with a growing demand that requires expanded facilities. He said he also want to focus on opportunities for growth in local farms, both small and large. 

“Today, we had a wide-ranging discussion about the needs of Georgia citrus growers, about research needs, about facility needs, about the huge opportunities for growth that Georgia citrus represents, about how growing citrus in Georgia affords smaller family farms and large-scale agriculture,” he said. “The growth of the Georgia citrus sector is exponential, we want to sustain that growth.”

“One thing that I learned today is that the production in Georgia is growing so rapidly that there is a need for additional capacity on either end of the supply chains, from the nursery to the packers,” he said. 

Ossoff said that the Georgia Satsuma industry and the rest of the citrus industry is something he wishes to support in Congress. 

“I’ll be returning to the Senate now with a very precise understanding of Georgia citrus growers’ needs in terms of research, facilities and other forms of support,” Ossoff said. “As always, I’ll be working across the aisle, to bring Republicans and Democrats together to support Georgia farmers.”

Lindy Savelle, co-owner of Georgia Grown Citrus, thanked Ossoff for coming to hear from the local citrus growers and listening to the issues they discussed. 

“We want to thank you for coming to JoNina Farms and looking at all the citrus and listening to our concerns and the issues that we’re having,” she said.