WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) and staff from the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship met in Youngsville, LA., today to identify issues that are impeding the economic growth of farmers, shrimpers and small business owners in Acadiana.

Sen. Kennedy heard from Bill Dore, vice president of Supreme Rice, Michael Comb, general manager for Louisiana Sugar Cane Cooperative, Angela Portier, owner and operator of Faith Family Shrimp, Heidi Melancon, director of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and Joseph A. Laroski, senior adviser of policy in the Office of the Under Secretary for International Trade at the International Trade Administration.

“I want to thank Chairman Jim Risch and ranking member Jeanne Shaheen for allowing me to take the committee on the road to Youngsville,” said Sen. Kennedy.  “Louisiana was founded by farmers and fishermen.  Today, there are 28,000 farms and a $2.4 billion seafood industry in Louisiana.  We want to know what challenges they are facing so that we can eliminate them and help families prosper.”

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy at the Small Business Field Hearing in Youngsville, La.