RFD TV
From WOTUS to Rural Programming: Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith advocates for farmers to overcome challenges
RFD-TV News Staff, Currey McCullough
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith fought for Farm Bill change in a recent Senate Ag Hearing.
RFD-TV’s Tammi Arender was on Capitol Hill to hear some of the major issues impacting producers.
Senator Hyde-Smith is very much interested in what the Farm Bill will do in several different areas, but she wants some relief for our catfish farmers and her state also had the chance to talk about a need for more rural veterinarians.
“You know the large animal veterinarians, they’re the ones that take care of our food supply,” said Hyde-Smith. “The small animals, the surgery, you know, that’s very lucrative for a lot of folks that specialize in those areas. But we’ve got to look at food production and its hard work. You know, if you’ve got one down a prolapse or something and you call the vet out there, it’s usually not the best time of day. It’s always cold, it’s always raining. And you know, late at night and so, so many really don’t go in that area, but the ones who choose to, that’s their passion. And we need to make sure there are enough slots out there available for those who help us keep our food stock well and make sure that we can reproduce and continue on of what we’re doing. Because as I say so many times, 2% of us feed the other 98%.”
When asked about what is causing farmers confusion regarding WOTUS, Senator Hyde-Smith says it could be scary to them.
“Well, what is it? The U.S., I mean when we actually got some relief from that, you had to pinch me. It’s like, Oh my gosh, this one away, this one away. And the thought of bringing that back, it’s really scary. Because you’ve got to be reasonable and you’ve got to have the folks in the room that actually know what they’re doing and know what they’re trying to accomplish. But what is of the U.S. is not a friend to producers, in my opinion,” Hyde-Smith said.
She also said she’s preparing to re-introduce the Rural Content Resolution, which recognizes the need for greater access to rural and agricultural media programming.