July 2010

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AgGeorgia Farm Credit, ACA AgSouth Farm Credit, ACA John Deere Company Merial Limited Monsanto   CoBank, ACB Color Burst  Georgia Pork Producers Assn. Georgia Power Kelly Products Inc. NG Turf The Produce Connection, Inc. Triangle Chemical Company   AgSouth Genetics LLC Alston & Bird LLP Coley Gin and Fertilizer Cotton Partners, LLC Curry Farm Supply Inc. Emanuel Peanut & Grain LLC Georgia State University Applied & Environmental Microbiology Heart of Georgia Peanut and Gin Co. Hendrix and Dail Inc. J & B Irrigation Inc. J. L. Morgan Company, Inc. Joseph Boddiford Farms KAKEGA LLC Leary Farm Center, Inc. Quality Gin, Inc. SafEnvirons, Inc. Sconyers Gin & Warehouse, Inc. Southern Crop Production Assn  Troutman Sanders LLP U.S. Poultry & Egg Association Woodruff & Howe Enviro. Engineering CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE STAR SPONSOR REGISTRATION

  GAC visited Nation's Capitol seeking relief from EPA 

The Council worked the halls of Congress on June 23 - 24, meeting with USDA and most Members of the Georgia delegation on pressing issues for Georgia agribusinesses. The group consisted of a broad spectrum of industry interests, including row crop farmers, poultry production leaders, ag chemical professionals, agricultural and environmental law interests, ag finance, and energy experts, among others. The group also met with the Ag Retailers Association and CropLife America to discuss our state issues with these national ag organizations. In addition, we enjoyed meeting with the GAC sponsored UGA CAES Fellowship program students for supper while in DC. (PHOTO: GAC's Bryan Tolar with Fellows Zeb Duvall, Angie Boothe, Maggie McBrearty, Will Collins and Mark Smith.) 

The trip touched on several issues, but centered on three main topics. The first was concern over USDA and Department of Justice workshops on antitrust issues that have taken place the past few months. Instead of using the meetings to gather input and openly discuss ag industry marketplace changes, they have proven to be a catalyst for more bureaucratic meddling. The various meetings focused on the seed industry and livestock integration sectors, but yielded very little fact finding. They have also produced new proposals by USDA for onerous changes to the Packers and Stockyards Act that will have a big impact on Georgia poultry and other livestock sectors. Other proposals on seed and biotechnology could soon follow. We asked USDA and the Georgia delegation to engage with all affected agriculture interests regarding supposed antitrust concerns. We will continue to monitor any proposed legislation or rule changes stemming from this USDA and DOJ process. Second, we suggested changes to the recently released National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) pesticide applicator permits initiated by EPA. The permit could apply to farmers and applicators that spray pesticides as a part of their cropping, forestry or livestock practices. While there is much agriculture industry concern about the requirements of the permit, the real problem is with the exposure to citizen lawsuits. A Georgia delegation letter was sent to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson on July 21 expressing industry concerns about the conditions of the permit that are open-ended and enhance civil legal challenges for pesticide applicators. The letter is being circulated among the Georgia delegation now and should be delivered to EPA very soon. Finally, we stated our objection to EPA’s abuse of the Clean Air Act to regulating greenhouse gases. This is in response to the inability of Congress to pass unnecessary carbon cap and trade legislation, which would dramatically increase the cost of inputs needed for agricultural production.  We asked that our delegation consider legislative or budget actions that would prevent the EPA Administrator from moving forward with such regulations before the end of a two year period to allow more time to craft a legislative remedy to appropriately address carbon and environmental concerns.

GAC's self-insured workers' compensation program, AgriTrust of Georgia, will conduct its regional seminars during the month of August. These seminars are planned specifically for our workers’ compensation Fund members and provide practical information to improve workplace safety and lower your workers’ compensation premium. You do not have to be enrolled in AgriTrust to participate. Registration information and additional information can be found online at www.agritrust.com.
  

Thursday, August 5 @ 6:00 p.m.: Holiday Inn, Athens
Friday, August 6 @ 7:30 a.m.: United Community Bank, Oakwood
Friday, August 6 @ 12:00 p.m.: GA Grown Welcome Center , Forest Park
Thursday, August 12 @ 6:00 p.m.: Doublegate Country Club, Albany
Friday, August 13 @ 7:30 a.m.: Tifton Conference Center, Tifton
Thursday, August 19 @ 12:00 p.m.: Railroad Depot, Lyons
Thursday, August 19 @ 6:00 p.m.: Bulloch Fertilizer Co., Statesboro
Wednesday, August 25 @ 12:00 p.m.: Holiday Inn, Perry

Tax Coalition set to Examine Agriculture Exemptions; Georgia Tax Code   

As mentioned in the June AgOutlook, the Georgia General Assembly passed HB 1405, which sets a process in place to examine Georgia’s tax code. It established a “Council on Tax Reform and Fairness” and a “Special Joint Committee on Georgia Revenue Structure” to conduct a thorough study of the state's current revenue structure and make a report of its findings and recommendations for legislation to the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor no later than January 10, 2011 (the start of the 2011 legislative session). The legislation outlines who will serve on the council. We are very pleased that the Lt. Governor selected GAC member Skeetter McCorkle of McCorkle Nurseries to serve.

Georgia agriculture has a lot at stake in these discussions and findings. The first meeting of the Council on Tax Reform will be held Thursday, July 28 in Atlanta. GAC has joined forces with seven other similar business organizations (Georgia Chemistry Council, Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Forestry Association, Georgia Mining Association, Georgia Paper and Forest Products Association, Georgia Poultry Federation and the Georgia Traditional Manufacturers Association) to form the Coalition for a Competitive Georgia and we secured the services of longtime friend and tax expert, Richard Royal. Many will recall that Richard served in the Georgia General Assembly for over 20 years. His knowledge of the Georgia tax code as it relates to our industry interests is second to none. We are very pleased to have the GA Plant Food Educational Society, GA Turfgrass Association, Metro Atlanta Landscape and Turf Association, GA Green Industry Association, GA Fruit & Vegetable Association, GA Cattlemen’s Association, GA Crop Production Alliance, GA Egg Association, and Cal-Maine Foods are all supporting us in this effort. This is a great example of agriculture interests working together for a common good and we are thankful for the partnerships. We will be updating GAC members on the activity of the Council on Tax Reform in the months ahead.

Harvest Celebration Tickets Available; Early Bird Winners Announced

The Georgia Agribusiness Council’s annual Harvest Celebration is set for November 19 at the Cobb Galleria Center in Atlanta and ticket sales are ahead of last year’s pace! This annual event provides an opportunity for leaders from every commodity and service sector to gather in a festive salute to the agribusiness industry.  We are looking forward to another great silent auction and Field of Dreams reception followed by dinner and entertainment by Joe Diffie. Thank you to everyone that purchased tickets to this year’s Harvest Celebration during the Early Bird drawing!  340 tickets were purchased during this promotion. Congratulations to these prize winners:

Winner of a One Night Stay at Renaissance Waverly Hotel on November 19:
AgSouth Farm Credit

Winners of a Field of Dreams Book:
Bulloch Fertilizer Co. Inc.
Sod Atlanta Inc.
Syngenta

Winners of a Joe Diffie autographed CD:
Chem Nut Inc.
Columbia Farms of Georgia Inc.
Georgia Administrative Services Inc.
Georgia FFA Foundation
John Deere Co.
Ogeechee Technical College
Publix Super Markets Inc.
South Central Georgia Gin Co. Inc.

Tickets are still available…click here to order yours today. Tickets will be mailed beginning in September.  A block of hotel rooms are available at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel (770/953-4500) and the Sheraton Suites Galleria (770/955-3900).  Ask for the Georgia Agribusiness Council block rate. Thank you!

• GAC is proud to support a new agriculture information service called GrowingGeorgia and we hope you will sign up today! GrowingGeorgia is an internet media publication that focuses exclusively on agricultural issues in Georgia. It reaches government leaders, business owners, local leaders in various communities and farmers/growers from all over the state.  Every morning GrowingGeorgia will put all of the agriculture news into an e-mail newsletter and send it to farmers, agribusinesses, elected officials and other interested parties for free.  The daily newsletter will also include a video featuring commentary on Georgia agriculture.

• Congratulations to GAC member Jerry Davis of Heart of Georgia Peanut and Gin Company in Hawkinsville for being named by Governor Perdue to the Georgia Agricultural Exposition Authority. Jerry is a great leader in agribusiness and we are very proud that he received this appointment.
   
• We were pleased to help host a reception for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce during their summer meeting of government affairs leaders. It was attended by many business organizations across the state as well as numerous legislators, including Speaker David Ralston. We appreciate the partnership of the GA Chamber of Commerce on issues related to agribusiness and strengthening our state economy.
   
• The Georgia Egg Association hosted an outstanding Annual Meeting on St. Simons Island. It was good to reconnect with several GAC member companies and visit with Egg Association President Scott Horton of Country Charm Eggs as well as the top-notch staff that includes longtime friends Robert Howell, Jewell Hutto and Holly Hidell.