Tag Archives: farming in Georgia

Georgia Farmers Head to D.C. to Fight for Ag Policy Reform | Farm Bill, Labor & National Security

Posted on by

Washington, D.C. |

From the moment they touched down in our nation’s capital, Georgia Farm Bureau legislative staff, Directors, and County Presidents got to work advocating for the ag industry – something GFB President, Tom McCall says is central to the organization’s mission, especially at a time with so much hanging in the balance for farmers and producers across the country.

“When they can hear from actual producers of some of the concerns that they have and what the Congress needs to be doing to help agriculture survive, not only in Georgia, especially in Georgia, but not only in Georgia, but the whole country, and get the point across that after military, food supply is the national security issue,” says Tom McCall, President of Georgia Farm Bureau.

“Main reason we’re here is to promote agriculture, talk about agriculture and what we’re facing as the state of Georgia and farmers. It’s very important for us to be up here communicating these things that we need to the people that might not get to see it every day. So, this has given us a platform to speak on behalf of the Georgia farmer,” says Brian Fleming, President of Hart County Farm Bureau.

As mentioned, the trip couldn’t have come at a better time, as producers across Georgia and the nation are struggling as a host of ag related issues continue to threaten their livelihoods; the two most pressing concerns being labor and the desperate need for an updated farm bill.

“Obviously, number one is this farm bill. We’ve been rolling on the same farm bill for seven years now. 2018 feels ancient, so that farm bill is basically an antique now. We need to see modernized farm programs, whether it’s reference prices, crop insurance products or changes to credit and additional funds to conservation Title. We need to see those improvements, ” says Ben Parker, National Affairs Coordinator.

“Number two, especially for the state of Georgia, is we’ve got to address this labor issue. It is far too costly, nothing makes sense and where we’re seeing these annual AEWR rates increase at seemingly random points. Seven and a half percent increase here. Fourteen percent increase here, and then this last year, we saw a nine and a half percent increase to over sixteen dollars an hour. I think finally, people are starting to see that these random increases in wage rates are only detrimental to ag and not just AG in Georgia, but poses national security risk for everyone that uses it,” says Parker.

Though they may not see the direct impact of this trip right away, Fleming says he believes the trip will pay dividends in the long run – and will hopefully make an impact back home on the farm.

“You might not see it right away, but getting what we need out, the support that we need and being able to talk to these people that we don’t need to see every day and actually see them take interest in it and understand what we’re saying that’s going on, it makes a big difference, and I think in the long run, we will see the benefits and things like this back at home,” says Fleming.

By: John Holcomb

Georgia Corn Comeback? Farmers Prepare for 2025 Amid Rising Costs & Drought Challenges

Posted on by

Tifton, GA |

After seeing a significant drop in acres of corn being planted in Georgia last year, those numbers look to be on the rebound in 2025, especially with the issues other crops around the state are experiencing.

“I think that given some of the constraints with some of the other commodities, that we’re probably going to see an increase in corn acreage this year. I have a prediction but we’ll see if it comes to fruition this year, but I think there’s going to be a significant increase with the crop,” says Nicholas Shay, Extension Grains Agronomist.

Despite seeing prices surge by more than thirty percent over the past six months, growers must still walk a fine line in order to turn a profit, especially with the ever-increasing cost of production.

“To navigate that, we have to try to really manage our input efficiency the best we can, and really go back to the drawing board and count our pennies to make sure that we’re being as efficient as possible with our agronomic management or crop management plan in that, for the season,” says Shay.

Another major issue for growers is the long periods of dry weather throughout the state each and every year. It’s a factor that should always be accounted for when planning crop management.

“I think we can bet that every single year, there has been some sort of level of intermittent drought that has occurred. And so, I think really staying on top of your nutrient management and understanding how a crop responds to drought or to a treatment or a fertilizer application that you’re going to apply in the growing season,” says Shay.

The biggest defense against drought conditions is to implement preventative strategies as soon as possible.

“We have to prepare that crop for those stressful environments instead of reacting to a common symptom entomology we may see in the field. If we’d be proactive and have a proactive mitigation strategy, then maybe we can alleviate some of that stress in the growing season, especially when it comes to drought,” says Shay.

With that in mind, it’s never too early to start preparing, especially with planting season right around the corner.

“Growers should obviously be focusing on making sure their equipment is ready, land preparation this time of year, making sure that they have a good plan in place to start the year as far as fertility, as far as weed management, preparing that ground. Then making sure that they have that plan A, plan B in place to be proactive in their approach to mitigate those midseason or early season stresses that we can almost expect are going to occur,” says Shay.

By: Damon Jones

2024: A Tough Year for Georgia Soybean Farmers – What’s Next?

Posted on by

Macon, GA |

2024 was a challenging year for Georgia agriculture across the board. That includes soybean growers around the state as they saw a significant drop in yields to go along with falling commodity prices.

“For Georgia soybean growers, the hot summer that we had in June really hurt some of the yield potential we had. Then, also with the lower prices, it just made for just a bad year for soybeans. So, I’ve talked to several farmers around and it’s just not an exciting time right now,” says Greg Mims, Chairman of the Georgia Soybean Commission.

So, getting things back on track is the top priority for the Georgia Soybean Commission, who recently held their planning and budgeting meeting to determine the best path forward.

“We get together with committee members because we have some missions of research products. And we have to approve those every year. We have to go through them and evaluate and see which one’s the best and then make a decision on what we want to approve with the budgeted money that we have,” says Mims.

And there are a number of programs they are excited to support that will help maximize yields in the near and distant future.

“A lot of the soybean breeding is always a pretty significant funding for us, just trying to create varieties that work for us here in the southeast and in Georgia. So, that’s kind of a big push that we try to every year. Another thing is just insect trials. This year, we’ve seen a lot more insect damage and more insect problems than we have in the last five years. So, just trying to keep up with what’s coming down the pipe and new things that are coming around that we’re going to be running into for the next couple of years,” says Jesse Patrick with the United Soybean Board.

Looking at 2025, the increase in global production specifically in Brazil and Argentina, has resulted in greater supplies. That means the industry must now find creative ways to market their product.

“As a Georgia soybean farmer and a US soybean farmer, I think our biggest thing is competition right now. Trying to find newer export markets to be able to push some of these newer products that we have; high oleic soybean mill with aviation fuel coming into effect with soybean oil and some biodiesel,” says Patrick.

While Georgia might not be the one of the larger production states, it is still important growers around Georgia voice their issues and concerns on the national level.

“To have that big voice across the US, we still need a voice in the southeast and specifically in Georgia. Just because we don’t grow the same amount of acres doesn’t mean we don’t have the same problems or want to see the same things accomplished across the US,” says Patrick.

By: Damon Jones