Trump taps ex-Gov Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture

President-elect Donald Trump has tappedformer Governor of Georgia SonnyPerdue as his Secretaryof Agriculture, filling in all positions of his cabinet a day before he takes oath as America's next leader.
"Sonny Perdue is going to accomplish great things as Secretary of Agriculture," he said in a statement here today.
"From growing up on a farm to being governor of a big agriculture state,he has spenthis whole life understanding and solving the challenges our farmers face, andhe is goingto deliver big results for all Americans who earn their living off the land."
With Perdue, Trump has filled out his Cabinet a day before his inauguration tomorrow.

His other Cabinet picks are currently undergoing confirmation hearings, being grilled on how they will lead the department they have been picked to head.
If confirmed, Perdue will oversee a department with a USD 150 billion budget.

The Agriculture Department is in charge of farm policy and food safety, and it funds food stamps, other nutrition programs and the Forest Service.
Trump's transition team said that as the former governor of a state that producesbillionsin agricultural products each year, Perdue has embraced policies under which Georgia farmers have "thrived" and he is prepared to generate the same level of success on the national level.

"Having been raised on a farm and worked as a veterinarian, Perdue is deeply in touch with the concerns of American farmers and will fight for their prosperity," the transition team said.
A former veterinarian, Perdue had campaigned extensively for Trump in the final months of the presidential race.
He had, however, initially supported former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
Perdue said he is "proud andhonored"to be joining Trump's administration.
"Beginning asa simpleGeorgia farm boy, making sure Americans who make their livelihood in the agriculture industry are thriving is near and dear to my heart, and I'm going to champion theconcerns of American agricultureand worktirelesslyto solve the issues facing ourfarm families in this new role," he said.

He had served as a Captain in the US Air Force, after which Perdue became a small business owner, concentrating in agribusiness and transportation.
He ran for the Georgia State Senate in 1990 and in 2001 began his campaign for Governor, which focused on restoring public trust in state government and empowering all Georgians.