Photo by Jay Stone
April 17 , 2024
www.gfb.org
Vol. 6 No. 8
GFB MEMBERS TAKE FARMERS’ NEEDS TO CAPITOL HILL A group of 37 Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) members and staff visited Washington, D.C. April 9-11 to meet with members of the Georgia congressional delegation and hear updates from American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) staff. In congressional visits, GFB members shared the organization’s policy stances on the Endangered Species Act, avian influenza and poultry health regulations, access to pesticides and needs they hope can be addressed in the new farm bill. “When we can bring farmers who actually do what we do for a living to talk to the policy makers in Washington, it affects everybody, not only the ones that are here, but especially the ones that are back home and couldn't be here,” said GFB President Tom McCall. In a meeting on April 9 at the AFBF offices, Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff gave a briefing on farm bill progress, and the GFB group heard from AFBF government affairs staff John Walt Boatright, Joe Gilson and Courtney Briggs and Economist Bernt Nelson. Ossoff outlined some of the challenges to getting a new farm bill done. “I’m cautiously optimistic that we’re on a glide path to getting a new farm bill done this fall,” Ossoff said. The first-term senator said he is not hearing much discussion on including ad hoc disaster assistance programs. Ossoff noted that while farmers’ losses like the late freeze that decimated the 2023 peach crop are a major concern, there are other ways he can help, including diplomatic trade efforts and contacting foreign consulates when visa issues hinder access to migrant labor. “We want to strengthen the [commodity] insurance programs if possible,” Ossoff said. “I'm asking the agriculture committee to consider a pilot program that would present some remedies for U.S. specialty crop growers who are facing import competition where the competitive disadvantage that we have on wages and regulation is so significant that it's just very, very challenging to compete.” AFBF’s Boatright gave an update on labor and showed results of a Gallup poll showing 71% of Republicans, 36% of independents and 19% of Democrats say they want decreased immigration -continued on next page