Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Texas Representative Mike Conaway, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, are in Texas this week to survey hurricane damage. The two are visiting the Houston area to survey agricultural damage from Hurricane Harvey. Damages from Hurricane Harvey are estimated to cost Texas agriculture billions of dollars from losses to crops and livestock. The area declared as a disaster by Texas Governor Greg Abbott contains about 1.2 million cattle, which is roughly 27 percent of the state’s cowherd. The losses from Harvey will reduce the state’s expected two million bale cotton harvest by as much as 400,000 bales. Perdue and Conaway will also make a stop at the Houston Food Bank on Thursday. Friday, the duo will travel to West Texas where the two will address the Southwest Council of Agribusiness, which is holding its annual meeting in Lamesa, Texas.