Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) continue efforts to serve Mississippians affected by recent storms, as Commissioner Gipson and MDAC employees visited Silver City on Monday.

“Our hearts go out to our fellow Mississippians who are hurting at this time,” Gipson said. “Even so, our farmers will continue their important work in the midst of such adversity. This is a crucial time of year for our farmers as they enter planting season, and agriculture is the backbone of the communities that were hit. Many of our farmers suffered their own damage and losses from the tornadoes. Because of the damage to our agriculture infrastructure, we expect some disruptions with supplies and shipping in the future. However, our farmers remain strong, and they will not stop doing what it takes to feed and clothe the world. Likewise, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce will continue to stand with those impacted and provide support to these communities.”

Following the disastrous storms that damaged towns across the Delta and Northeast Mississippi on March 24, MDAC partnered with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to collect and organize donations for redistribution among storm victims in affected areas at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds.

Items such as bottled water, nonperishable foods, hygiene products, cleaning supplies and more were then transported to Rolling Fork and Amory during the week of March 26. Commissioner Gipson pledged that MDAC will continue assisting MEMA and DPS in these efforts. In addition, MDAC’s Genuine MS cooking team partnered with the Mississippi Egg Marketing Board, Cal-Maine Foods Inc., PECO Foods Inc. and Foam Packing to prepare and serve breakfast and lunch for 400 volunteers, first responders and displaced families on the ground in Silver City.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that assistance is available for communities and agricultural producers affected by the severe weather and tornado that tore through Mississippi on March 25. For more information, visit usda.gov.