(BIVN) – The United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was in Puna today, where he toured the damage from Kīlauea Volcano alongside Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture Chairperson Scott Enright and several local ag producers.

Secretary Perdue witnessed the destruction in Leilani Estates first hand, and heard from farmers impacted by the lava flow and gas emissions during the eruption. “The evidence of the fury of the volcano is staggering,” wrote the Secretary on Twitter.

Perdue then sat down with local ag producers – farmers of papaya, orchids, anthurium, macadamia nuts and coffee, to name a few – at the W.H. Shipman office in Keaʻau.

After the meeting, we spoke to Leilani Estates resident Bob Wytosky of Hoʻokupu Orchids, who was present for the meeting with the Secretary of Agriculture and the tour of the eruption site.

The meeting was filmed by Big Island Video News and will be published soon.