Nov. 28, 2018
www.gfb.org
Vol. 36 No. 23
GFB CONVENTION TO CELEBRATE FARMERS’ RESILIENCY Less than two months after Hurricane Michael dealt more than $2.5 billion in crop and livestock damages to Georgia agriculture, Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) members will gather on Jekyll Island to celebrate the resiliency of Georgia farmers during the organization’s 81st annual meeting Dec. 2-4. “Georgia Farm Bureau has advocated for Georgia’s farmers and rural communities for eighty-one years. Our purpose – to serve as the voice of Georgia’s farmers – is needed now more than ever as Georgia’s agricultural community recovers from Hurricane Michael. Farmers from Seminole to Burke counties suffered varying degrees of damage that will take a while to rebound from, even generations in the case of timber and pecan losses,” GFB President Gerald Long said. “Our convention will serve as a venue for our organization to support our members affected by the storm, get updates on ag issues and determine the positions our organization will take next year on the issues impacting their farms and rural communities.” American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall and Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black will address convention attendees during the general session on Dec. 3 between 8:15 a.m. and noon. Duvall served as GFB president from December 2006 until Jan. 2016 when he became the first Georgian elected to lead AFBF. Black has revitalized the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Georgia Grown program and initiated the Farm to School program since first taking office in 2011. Convention activities begin on Dec. 2 at the Jekyll Island Convention Center with registration at 10 a.m. The trade show, featuring booths from many of Georgia’s agricultural organizations and agencies, will be open from 11 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Convention attendees are encouraged to visit the Harvest 20 Research Grant poster display in the trade show. The five scientists and their research teams who received a total of almost $42,000 in grants to research production issues Georgia farmers are facing, will be on-hand to talk about their study findings. Also on Dec. 2, GFB will host a “Sip and Spoonful” reception from 1 to 3 p.m. showcasing GFB’s Certified Farm Markets. -continued on next page
GFB News Alert page 2 of 12 Continued from previous page During the Celebrating Agricultural Literacy event, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 2, GFB will recognize efforts by county Farm Bureaus to educate students about agriculture through the Ag in the Classroom program. Three GFB state awards pertaining to the AITC program will be presented at this event – GFB Women’s Committee, Promotion & Education Committee and the 2018 Georgia Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year Award. The first day of the convention will close with a worship service at 4:30 p.m. that will include a memorial for county Farm Bureau presidents who died this year. On Dec. 3, convention activities start with the County Presidents’/Secretaries’ Breakfast at 6:30 a.m. Attendees must have purchased a ticket in advance. The GFB Office Manager of the Year will be named at this event and Bronze Quota Counties will be recognized. The general session begins at 8:15 a.m. GFB President Long will deliver his annual address, followed by remarks from AFBF President Duvall and Commissioner of Agriculture Black. The GFB Legislative Committee Award and McKemie Awards recognizing the most outstanding county Farm Bureau programs in the organization’s small, medium and large membership groups, will also be announced in the general session. The convention trade show will be open from 9 a.m. until noon. A lunch will be held for GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers and members 36 to 50 beginning at noon. Recipients of the GFB YF&R Awards, including the GFB YFR Committee, will be recognized during this ticketed event. Commodity conferences featuring speakers who will address management and policy issues for the major commodities grown in Georgia will be held Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. On Dec. 4, GFB voting delegates will meet at 8 a.m. to discuss and approve policy resolutions submitted by county Farm Bureau chapters statewide. The resolutions approved by the delegates will become the organization’s official policy and will guide its legislative efforts in 2019. Delegates will also elect the 2019 GFB Board of Directors. GFB President Long is running unopposed for another term as is GFB Middle Georgia Vice President Robert Fountain Jr. GFB District Directors running unopposed for another two-year term are: Wesley Hall, Forsyth County, 1st District; Randy Ruff, Elbert County, 2nd District; Nora Goodman, Paulding County, 3rd District; Skeetter McCorkle, McDuffie County, 4th District; Matt Bottoms, Pike County, 5th District; James Emory Tate, Jeff Davis County, 6th District; Ben Boyd, Screven County, 7th District; Don Wood, Wilcox County, 8th District; Lucius Adkins, Baker County, 9th District; and Lamar Vickers, Berrien County, 10th District. For more information about the GFB convention visit www.gfb.ag/convention. TEST DRIVE A FORD AT GFB CONVENTION, RAISE HURRICANE RELIEF FUNDS GFB members attending the organization’s annual convention will have a chance to generate relief funds by taking a Sunday drive on Dec. 2. GFB member benefits partner Ford will have vehicles available for test drives at the Jekyll Island Convention Center. For each GFB member who takes a test drive, Ford will contribute $20 to the GFB Foundation for Agriculture Hurricane Relief Fund.
GFB News Alert page 3 of 12 GEORGIA LEGISLATURE PASSES HURRICANE RELIEF PACKAGE Hurricane Michael devastated Southwest Georgia in October, resulting in unprecedented damage to agriculture and our farmer families. Over the course of a day, the category 3 hurricane entered Georgia from the panhandle bringing 115+ mph winds, destroying homes, crops at the peak of harvest, timber stands, and farm infrastructure, and leaving 300,000 people without power. Gov. Nathan Deal called for the General Assembly to convene in a special session on Nov. 13. “Georgia was severely impacted by Hurricane Michael and many communities across our state sustained heavy financial losses,” Deal said Deal. “In response, I will ask the General Assembly to take immediate action and lead the way in spurring rapid economic recovery for southwest Georgia communities.” GFB Public Policy staff worked with legislators and ag industry allies over the five-day session to identify an initial $270.8 million relief package the state can provide to help bridge the gap left by coming federal assistance and insurance programs. While discussions continue on the federal and state level, the State hopes to provide this initial assurance that our top industry is supported as plans for next year’s crop are made. The General Assembly passed two bills aimed at helping Georgians recover from the hurricane, including the following allocations to help farmers and landowners: HB 1EX - Ag and Rural Georgia Relief Funding • $55 million was allocated to the Georgia Development Authority for emergency disaster relief assistance to farmers in the affected 31 disaster counties to provide secured loans until federal disaster relief payments are made. • $69.3 million was added to the Governor's Emergency Fund (GEF) to pay the state's match for federal disaster assistance relating to damage and operating costs, debris removal, road and bridge work, public utility repairs, and water and meals for FEMA workers. • $20 million to the Georgia Development Authority for disaster assistance provided by the State Forestry Commission for cleanup efforts and debris removal on timberland. • $7.4 million for additional firefighting and land clearing equipment for the State Forestry Commission to provide assistance work. • $15 million for the Department of Community Affairs Regional Economic Business Assistance (REBA) grants. • $25 million for the OneGeorgia Authority to provide assistance to local communities and economic development efforts impacted by Hurricane Michael. HB 4EX - Timberland Reforestation Income Tax Credit • $200 million in state tax credits was appropriated for commercial timber and pecan growers in a 28-county disaster area for reforestation. The Department of Revenue is currently working to create rules for qualification and awarding of these credits to landowners, divided on a pro-rata share of qualified applicants. Individuals will be able to apply for credits up to the taxpayer's casualty loss deduction filed on their federal income return, with a cap of $400 per acre, once land is cleared and seedlings are in hand to replant. These credits are both refundable and transferable up to one time.
GFB News Alert page 4 of 12 GFB FOUNDATION FOR AG OFFERS $58,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS The Georgia Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is committed to investing in students pursuing careers in agriculture or a related field. For 2019, the foundation is offering scholarships for graduating high school seniors, rising college juniors and seniors, technical college students and UGA College of Veterinary Medicine students specializing in large/food animals. Visit http://gfb.ag/19scholarships for a list of eligible majors/schools, application instructions and to apply. Applications must be submitted online only by March 1. Transcripts and letters of recommendation must be uploaded into the application. The four scholarship categories the GFB Foundation is offering are: Scholarship for Agriculture: Five scholarships of $3,000 & seven scholarships of $1,500 are available. Applicants must: Be a Georgia resident; be a graduating high school senior; during the 2019-2020 academic year, enroll in a unit of The University System of Georgia, Berry College, Emmanuel College or any accredited college/university in Georgia with an ag program; pursue an undergraduate degree in agricultural & environmental sciences, family & consumer sciences or a related ag field; have a minimum 3.0 GPA and be engaged in high school leadership activities. Technical College Scholarship for Agriculture: Five $1,000 scholarships are available. Applicants must: Be a Georgia resident; be enrolled in a Georgia accredited technical college during the 2019-2020 academic year; major in an area of study related to agriculture (examples of eligible majors may be found at http://gfb.ag/19techschoolmajors) and have a minimum 2.8 GPA. Rising College Jr./Sr. Scholarship for Agriculture: 10 scholarships of $2,000 are available. Applicants must: be a Georgia resident majoring in agricultural & environmental sciences, family & consumer sciences or a related ag field; be a sophomore or junior with at least two semesters remaining to receive undergraduate degree at a unit of The University System of Georgia, Berry College, Emmanuel College or any accredited college/university in Georgia with an ag program; be engaged in leadership activities in college and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. UGA College of Veterinary Medicine Scholarship: Three $2,500 scholarships are available. Applicants must: Be a Georgia resident; be a current University of Georgia veterinary medicine student specializing in large animal/food animal practice and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Questions about the scholarships should be directed to Clay Talton at cstalton@gfb.org or 478474-0679, ext. 5128.
GFB News Alert page 5 of 12 STATE FARM BUREAU PRESIDENTS ASK CONGRESS FOR STORM AID Georgia Farm Bureau President Gerald Long, along with the state Farm Bureau presidents from Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, wrote to select members of Congress requesting additional disaster assistance funding for farmers in those states harmed by Hurricanes Florence and Michael. The storms “left important agricultural regions devastated,” they wrote. The presidents noted that while crop insurance will provide some immediate assistance, the losses from these storms far exceed what insurance policies will pay. As a result, there is an urgent need for a supplemental disaster appropriations bill to address these disasters and help farmers and rural communities recover. “We are very concerned that many less capitalized and vulnerable farms may not be able to continue their operations into 2019 without additional assistance,” they said. “The loss of these businesses will mean a significant loss of jobs in struggling rural areas.” The letter, signed by Long, Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell, Florida Farm Bureau President John Hoblick, North Carolina Farm Bureau President Larry Wooten, South Carolina Farm Bureau President Harry Ott and Virginia Farm Bureau President Wayne Pryor, was sent on Nov. 28 to each member of those states’ congressional delegations, House and Senate Agriculture committees, Appropriations committees and House and Senate leadership. GEORGIA HOUSE DELEGATION URGES DISASTER ASSISTANCE On. Nov. 26, all 14 members of the Georgia House Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee requesting legislative action by the Dec. 7 government funding deadline to address recent natural disasters, including Hurricane Michael. “We write in support of legislative action to address recent disasters befalling our nation,” wrote the Members. “Over the past month, Georgia has responded to and is now recovering from this devastating storm. We have identified agriculture and the impacted rural communities as critical areas in which the support of the federal government is essential to our recovery.” Hurricane Michael entered Georgia as a Category 3 Hurricane and was the first major hurricane to directly impact the state since the 1890’s. Recent projections conducted by the University of Georgia place the losses for Georgia’s agricultural industry caused by Hurricane Michael at $2.5 billion. This is the third consecutive year that Georgia’s farmers and communities have been hit by a hurricane. For full text of the letter visit https://gfb.ag/1118Houserepsletter.
GFB News Alert page 6 of 12 GFVGA WARNS OF POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO SE PRODUCE UNDER USMCA The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) has filed comments with the International Trade Commission regarding the damage the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has done to Georgia's produce industry. Speaking on behalf of GFVGA, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black outlined the unprecedented growth of Mexico imports into the United States during a Nov. 15 hearing in Washington, D.C., according to a GFVGA press release. “Based on the current level of Mexican fruit and vegetable imports and the potential for additional exponential unrestrained growth of Mexican imports if the new USMCA Agreement is approved, it will be tantamount to distributing U.S. government printed ‘going out of business’ signs across a substantial part of rural Georgia and the Southeast,” Black said. “Market windows continue to shrink for our producers while produce streams across our southern border arriving from a country known for an inconsistent regulatory environment.” The hearing was being held for the International Trade Commission to gather information on the likely impact of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) if approved by Congress. This agreement will replace the current NAFTA agreement. GFVGA has strongly opposed USMCA as it will cause further harm to Georgia and southeastern growers in absence of any measures that can provide effective near-term relief against unfairly traded Mexican fruits and vegetables. Prehearing testimony filed by GFVGA outlined the surge in US imports of unfairly traded Mexican fruits and vegetables that have devastated markets and is economically destroying Georgia growers. Black said Southeastern growers have no recourse to stop Mexico from dumping unfairly traded produce into U.S. markets, the value of Mexican tomato imports have grown from $552 million in 2002 to $1.842 billion in 2017, a 233 percent increase; bell pepper imports have tripled – 339 million pounds in 2000 to 909 million pounds in 2017, a 168 percent increase; and blueberry imports have grown from 1 million pounds in 2007 to 48 million pounds in 2017, a 1,619 percent increase. In the pre-hearing filing, which can be viewed in its entirety at http://bit.ly/GFVGAtradecomments, GFVGA pointed out that Mexico’s extraordinary growth in fruit and vegetable shipments to the U.S. has been driven by unfair subsidies, sales prices significantly below costs of production, and extremely low labor costs. The government of Mexico has steadily expanded fruit and vegetable support payments. The GFVGA noted that Southeastern growers have no recourse to file anti-dumping violations against Mexico or growers in Mexico. Black asked the ITC commissioners to include these concerns in their report to Congress. “This is a critical issue to the livelihood of GFVGA and our membership,” said GFVGA President Mike Bruorton. “Farm operations in Florida are already closing due to NAFTA unfair trade. Georgia farms will be next. GFVGA will continue to express our objection to this agreement if an administrative solution to the unfair trade practices is not included in the final agreement.” Growers wishing to file comments with the ITC concerning the United States Mexico Canada Agreement can find instructions on the GFVGA web site (https://www.gfvga.org/) or contact the GFVGA office at 706-845-8200.
GFB News Alert page 7 of 12 WARBINGTON, FORD AMONG USDA COTTON BOARD APPOINTMENTS On Nov. 19 Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the appointment of eight members, eight alternate members and two advisors to serve on the Cotton Board. Among the reappointees are two from Georgia - Dooly County Farm Bureau President Teal Warbington and Berrien County Farm Bureau member Jaclyn Dixon Ford. “The Cotton Board carries out research and promotional activities that help cotton compete in domestic and foreign markets, improve fiber quality and lower production costs,” Perdue said. “I want to thank these board members for the time and effort they have committed to serving the cotton industry.” The Cotton Research and Promotion Act of 1966 authorized a national cotton research and promotion program that is both industry-operated and funded. Since 1966, Congress has authorized 22 industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity. More information is available on the AMS Cotton Board website, or visit the board’s website at www.cottonboard.org. JACOBS, HAYES PRESENTED 2018 KING COTTON AWARDS For the eighteenth straight year, the Georgia Cotton Commission sponsored the King Cotton Awards to recognize outstanding contributions of county agents to Georgia cotton producers. The 2018 Senior King Cotton Award Winner is James Jacobs of Pierce County, where he serves as county Extension coordinator as well as Agriculture & Natural Resources (ANR) agent. Jacobs previously served producers in Ware and Berrien counties. James works with the UGA Cotton OnFarm Variety Evaluation Program as well as doing individual trials on conventional and nematoderesistant varieties, all of which helps producers select the best varieties of cotton to plant for the current year, as well as in the future. The 2018 Allen B. Fulford Award recipient is Bryan Hayes of Mitchell County, where he serves as ANR Agent. Bryan started with UGA Cooperative Extension in 2014, and has made a major impact on his community since that time. Hayes also participates in UGA On-Farm Cotton Variety Evaluation Program trials as well as helping coordinate other research studies with the University of Georgia as well as the University of Florida. Bryan has become a leading county agent on cotton in his four years in Mitchell County, and is continuing to grow as a leader in the extension service. The Senior Award is for agents with 10 or more years of experience, while the Junior Award, named the Allen B. Fulford Award, is for those with less than 10 years of service. The latter award honors the accomplishments and memory of Allen B. Fulford as a county Extension agent and state cotton agronomist. The awards were presented at the 2018 Georgia Association of County Agricultural Agents Annual Meeting & Professional Improvement Conference held in Buford in November. The Georgia Cotton Commission is proud to salute the excellent work that County Extension Agents do for farmers across the state.
GFB News Alert page 8 of 12 GPC BOARD NOMINATION MEETINGS TO BE HELD DEC. 10 Nomination meetings to fill three positions on the Georgia Peanut Commission Board of Directors will be held on Dec. 10 in Ocilla, Vienna, and Americus. The Georgia Farm Bureau Federation will conduct the meetings to fill terms in the Commission's District Two, Four, and Five which expire December 31, 2018. The Georgia peanut production area is divided into five districts based on acreage distribution and geographical location with one Board member representing each district. Each nominee must produce peanuts and live within the district for which he or she is nominated. The District Two nomination meeting will be held at the Irwin County Farm Bureau Office located at 495 Lax Highway, Ocilla, GA 31774 on Dec. 10 at 10:00 a.m. The incumbent in that district is Armond Morris of Irwin County. Counties in District Two include Atkinson, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Thomas, Tift, Turner, and Worth. The District Four nomination meeting will be held at the Dooly County Farm Bureau Office located at 126 Church Street, Vienna, GA 31092, on Dec. 10 at 10:00 a.m. The incumbent in that district is Rodney Dawson of Pulaski County. Counties in District Four include Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Crisp, Houston, Laurens, Pulaski, Telfair, Twiggs, Wheeler, Wilcox, and Wilkinson. The District Five nomination meeting will be held at the Sumter County Farm Bureau Office located at 141 Highway 27 East, Americus, GA 31709 on Dec. 10 at 10:00 a.m. The incumbent in that district is Donald Chase of Macon County. Counties in District Five include Chattahoochee, Clay, Lee, Macon, Marion, Peach, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Terrell, and Webster. Any producer living in the district may be nominated or make nominations at the meeting. Incumbents are eligible for renomination. If more than one person is nominated, an election will be conducted by mail ballot. Commission bylaws state that a person must receive the majority of votes cast for a position to be elected to the board. If only one person qualifies for the position, no election is required, and the nominated person automatically becomes a member of the board. Commission members have terms of three years each. USDA CAMPAIGN PROMOTES BIOSECURITY IN POULTRY FLOCKS On Nov. 16, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service launched a new outreach campaign focused on preventing the spread of infectious poultry diseases in both commercial and backyard poultry. The “Defend the Flock” campaign to promote biosecurity combines and updates two previous campaigns that were each targeted at a specific segment of the poultry population. Having experienced several poultry health issues over the last couple of years, the poultry community knows how important biosecurity is to protecting the nation’s flocks. USDA launched a web page, www.aphis.usda.gov/animalhealth/defendtheflock, where anyone can find important information about protecting their flocks from disease. The site also has a resource section, including a series of checklists covering specific biosecurity principles. Producers, growers, workers and enthusiasts can use these as regular reminders or cues for maintaining a high level of biosecurity. These resources are available in both English and Spanish, with additional languages coming in the next year.
GFB News Alert page 9 of 12 GFB DISTRICT 2 STEER AND HEIFER SHOW SET FOR JAN. 19 The 10th Annual District 2 Georgia Farm Bureau Steer and Heifer Show will be held at the Habersham County Agriculture Center in Mt. Airy, GA on Jan. 19, 2019. This show is open to all junior beef cattle exhibitors in the counties of Georgia Farm Bureau's 2nd District. Those counties include: Banks, Elbert, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, and White. Check-in will be 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday morning. Barn will be open on Jan. 18 at 4 p.m. for early arrivals. Show will begin Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. with showmanship classes. State Show rules apply and the show committee has the right to make any changes. Entries are due online by Jan. 4, 2019. ENTRY FEE: Farm Bureau Members - $25 per animal; non-members - $35 per animal. Membership can be obtained at your local County Farm Bureau office for $25. There will be a $5 per head late fee for late entries. Entries are nonrefundable. Show is open only to junior beef cattle exhibitors of the counties listed above. Premiums will be paid and mailed out to participants after the show. Please be sure mailing addresses are given. Please list email contact information if available for confirmations. The Habersham County Agriculture Center can be found via internet web sites for directions, using the address as follows: Habersham Central 2059 Old Hwy 197 S, Mt. Airy, GA 30563. DOL PROPOSES RULE TO ALLOW ONLINE JOB NOTICES FOR H-2A On Nov. 9, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration published a proposed rule that could help farmers meet advertising requirements under the H-2A visa program. The DOL rulemaking would require that employers seeking to hire temporary workers post the employment opportunities online, rather than in expensive newspapers advertisements reaching a limited audience. This is an early step in H-2A regulatory reforms promised in May in a joint announcement from the USDA, the Department of Labor, Department of State and Department of Homeland Security. “When I travel around the country, one of the biggest concerns farmers raise is the shortage of legal farm labor. Our farmers and ranchers are the most productive in the world, and they want to obey immigration law,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in response to the proposed rule. “Where American workers are not available, farmers turn to the H-2A program that is overly bureaucratic and cost prohibitive. Using regulations like this is one way to modernize H-2A to reach more American workers, while providing relief to farmers from one of the high costs of the program. The DOL is accepting public comment on the proposed rule. The deadline to make a comment is Dec. 10. To read the proposed rule or make a comment, visit https://gfb.ag/DOLH2Acomments.
GFB News Alert page 10 of 12 USDA TO COLLECT FINAL 2018 PRODUCTION AND STOCKS DATA As the 2018 growing season officially comes to an end, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact producers nationwide to gather final year-end crop production numbers and the amount of grain and oilseeds they store on their farms. At the same time, NASS will survey grain facility operators to determine year-end grain and oilseed stocks. “These surveys are the largest and most important year-end surveys conducted by NASS,” explained NASS Southern Regional Director Jim Ewing. “They are the basis for the official USDA estimates of production and harvested acres of all major agricultural commodities in the United States and year-end grain and oilseed supplies. Data from the survey will benefit farmers and processors by providing timely and accurate information to help them make critical year-end business decisions and begin planning for the next growing and marketing season.” NASS will analyze the survey information and publish the results in a series of USDA reports, including the Crop Production Annual Summary and quarterly Grain Stocks reports, both to be released January 11, 2019. “Responses to the producer survey will also be included in the County Agricultural Production Survey and used in calculating county yields,” explained Ewing. “USDA uses county yield information from the survey to evaluate and administer vital farm disaster and insurance programs. Farmers who receive this survey are not included in the County Agricultural Production Survey; therefore this is their only opportunity to be included in the calculation of county yields.” As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential, as required by federal law. NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified. All NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/. For more information call the NASS Southern Regional Field Office at (800) 253-4419. NASS ADJUSTS CROP PRODUCTION ESTIMATES Georgia farmers who produce corn, cotton, peanuts and soybeans are all expected to record heavy production losses resulting from Hurricane Michael, according to the November Crop Production report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Cotton producers are expected to take the biggest hit. In October, NASS forecast the state’s cotton production at 2.9 million bales. After the hurricane, that projection dropped to 1.95 million bales. Instead of what some predicted would be a record cotton crop, the projected production is 12 percent less than the 2.225 million bales Georgia cotton growers produced in 2017. The peanut production forecast was lowered from 2.95 billion pounds in the October report to 2.82 billion pounds, a difference of more than 31 million pounds. If realized, this would represent a 21 percent decline from 2017, when Georgia peanut growers produced almost 3.6 billion pounds. The production forecast for Georgia soybean growers was lowered from 4.86 million bushels in the October report to 4.29 million bushels in the November report., a difference of 570,000 bushels. Georgia growers produced 6.3 million bushels of soybeans in 2017. NASS lowered its forecast of Georgia corn production from 46.75 million bushels on the October report to 45.475 million bushels on the November report.
GFB News Alert page 11 of 12 2018 GEORGIA FARM BUREAU CONVENTION Dec. 2-4 Jekyll Island Convention Center Jekyll Island GFB President Gerald Long will give his annual address during the Dec. 3 general session. Other events at the GFB Convention will include commodity and educational sessions; a lunch for young farmers and ranchers and the newly formed group for farmers ages 36-50; announcements of the 2018 state award winners; and the annual trade show. Voting delegates will adopt the organization’s policy for 2019 and elect the 2019 GFB Board. For more information contact your county Farm Bureau office. FERAL SWINE WORKSHOPS AND TRAPPING DEMONSTRATIONS Dec. 11 Pierce County Ag Services Building 8:30 a.m. Blackshear Dec. 18 Burt’s Farm 8:30 a.m. Dawsonville Jan. 7 Brooks County Ag Building 8:30 a.m. Quitman Jan. 29 Pulaski County Recreation Building 8:30 a.m. Hawkinsville Join wildlife experts for four upcoming free Feral Swine Workshop and Trapping Demonstrations. Topics include wild pig biology, regulations and laws, effective control techniques and more. Q&A sessions follow presentations. Speakers include representatives from GA Wildlife Resources Division, University of Georgia, Ga Department of Agriculture, GA Association of Conservation Districts, and USDA Wildlife Services. Lunch is included. For more information about feral hogs or to register for the workshops, visit https://gfb.ag/18feralhogwkshp. GEORGIA YOUNG PEANUT FARMER AWARD Deadline for nominations Dec. 15 Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer. The state winner will be announced at the Georgia Peanut Farm Show on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019, in Tifton. The award is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) and BASF. The award is open for any active Georgia peanut farmer who is not over 45 years of age, as of Jan. 17, 2019. An individual may receive the award only once. There is no limit on the number of applicants from each county in Georgia. Applications are due to the GPC office by Dec. 15, 2018. The award application is available online at www.gapeanuts.com or by contacting Joy Crosby at 229-386-3690 or joycrosby@gapeanuts.com. 43RD ANNUAL GEORGIA PEANUT FARM SHOW & CONFERENCE Jan. 17, 2019 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center 8:30 a.m. Tifton The Peanut Farm show will feature more than 100 exhibits, the UGA Peanut Production Seminar, annual awards and much more. For more information, visit www.gapeanuts.com or contact Hannah Jones at 229-386-3470 or hannah@gapeanuts.com or Jessie Bland at 229-386-3472 or jessie@gapeanuts.com.
GFB News Alert page 12 of 12 2019 GEORGIA AG FORECAST SERIES Jan. 22 Georgia Farm Bureau 9 a.m. Macon Jan. 23 Carroll County Ag Center 9 a.m. Carrollton Jan. 25 Oconee County Civic Center 9 a.m. Watkinsville Jan. 29 Toombs County Agri-Center 9 a.m. Lyons Jan. 31 Decatur County Ag Center 9 a.m. Bainbridge Feb. 1 UGA Tifton Conf. Center 7 a.m. Tifton This annual seminar series presented by the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in partnership with the Georgia Department of Agriculture. UGA economists provide an outlook of agricultural markets for the coming year. Participants will network with UGA faculty and UGA Cooperative Extension agents, local producers and other stakeholders, and will leave the meeting with a copy of the 2019 Georgia Ag Forecast book, which is designed to provide detailed analyses of major commodities produced in the state. All the meetings except the one in Tifton begin with on-site check-in and coffee at 9 a.m., followed by seminar presentations at 10 a.m. and a networking lunch at 11:30 a.m. The Tifton installment begins with 7 a.m. check-in and coffee, followed by a 7:30 a.m. breakfast buffet and the seminar presentations beginning at 8 a.m. For more information or to register, visit http://agforecast.caes.uga.edu. SOYBEAN/SMALL GRAIN EXPO Jan. 30 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter Perry The Expo will provide up-to-date marketing projections and the newest production techniques, as well as remarks from University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences leaders. Attendees are invited to visit with exhibitors who will be showcasing the latest in new varieties, pest control, seed varieties. Registration begins at 8 a.m. On-site registration is $20. Advance registration is $10. To register for the Expo, call 706-542-3793. GFB TAKING LISTINGS FOR HAY DIRECTORY Farm Bureau members with hay for sale or offering custom harvesting or custom sprigging services are invited to list in the GFB Quality Hay Directory published on the GFB website. Because this directory is now offered online, hay can be listed or removed from the site as your inventory dictates. To participate, please complete a submission form available at your county Farm Bureau office or online at www.gfb.ag/hay. Please include a $10 check made payable to Georgia Farm Bureau for each listing of hay, custom harvesting or custom sprigging. Multiple listings are allowed.