Volume 33, No. 2 Published by the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Inc. January 20, 2023

After spending the first week of session getting a feel for new leadership in all levels of State Government, week two centered on reviewing the Governor's budget proposals for the rest of FY23 and the full 2024 fiscal year. Agency heads presented to a joint Senate and House Appropriations Committee about their wish list of items they would like to see included in both the "big" and "little" budgets.

Legislators that aren't a part of the appropriations committees were able to catch up with work back home in their districts or took the time to prepare themselves for a busy session that is sure to jump into full gear starting next week. This week may have been the last slow-paced days we see until after Sine Die on March 29th.

If you have not already done so, we hope that you will make plans to join us for our Annual Dinner, which is open to all GAC members and supporters of agriculture, on January 31st and the State Legislative Breakfast on February 1st. It's a great opportunity to interact with your elected officials on a personal basis. More information is available below as well as links to register for the events.

**Inside Agriculture is a newsletter and member benefit for GAC members that highlights the action Under the Gold Dome each week throughout the legislative session. The updates are meant to keep GAC members informed, connected, and engaged in the legislative process. Please share with other leaders within your business that may find these updates helpful.**

WEEKLY AUDIO SNAPSHOT OF THE SESSION WITH SOUTHEAST AGNET

We are excited to extend our partnership with Southeast AgNet as they help spread the word on what is happening under the Gold Dome. This is a great tool to get a quick snapshot of the week's activities throughout the session. For a recap of the session, Click Here.

REGISTER TODAY

Georgia Agribusiness Council’s 

2023 Annual Meeting 

and State Legislative Breakfast

(Open to all GAC members, including employees, family, and friends of GAC members)

Membership Supper & Annual Meeting

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Georgia Aquarium • Atlanta, Georgia

5:30 p.m. - Reception & Aquarium Access

6:30 p.m. - Dinner 

GAC is excited for Retired U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss to be our keynote speaker at the 2023 GAC Annual Meeting & Dinner. The dinner will be held at the Georgia Aquarium on Tuesday, January 31st. Senator Chambliss previously served as the Agriculture Committee Chairman in the U.S. Senate and also served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Register Here!



Legislative Breakfast, February 1st

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

7:15 a.m. - Breakfast Lines Open

7:45 a.m. - Program Begins

Georgia Railroad Depot • Atlanta, Georgia

Invited speakers include Governor Brian Kemp, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Lt. Governor Burt Jones, Speaker Jon Burns, Senate Ag Chairman Russ Goodman, and House Ag Chairman Robert Dickey for the 2023 GAC Legislative Breakfast at the Freight Depot in Atlanta

on Wednesday, February 1st.

The Council looks forward to welcoming state-wide Constitutional Officers, Members of the Georgia General Assembly, and leaders from every corner of state government to the GAC State Legislative Breakfast.

Register Here!

Reserve tickets to all events by January 23, 2023

CHAIRMAN DICKEY SELECTED TO CONTINUE LEADING AG COMMITTEE

Speaker Jon Burns, and other House leaders, announced their full slate of Committee Chairmanships and committee assignments for all members of the State House earlier this week. While there will be many new faces wielding influence in committee rooms throughout the Capitol, Agriculture will continue to be led by the steady hand of Chairman Robert Dickey. Chairman Dickey, a peach farmer and agribusinessman from Musella, GA, is a veteran Under the Gold Dome and will begin his second biennial as the Chairman of this important committee.

As we noted last week, Senator Russ Goodman was announced as the new chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Sen. Goodman is a blueberry and cattle farmer from Cogdell, GA and is also involved with several family-owned agribusinesses in the area. We look forward to working with both Chairmen as they help lead Georgia's largest industry.

Also, of importance to many pieces of legislation impacting agriculture, Senator Lee Anderson was announced as the new Chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee and Rep. Lynn Smith will continue to guide that same committee work in the House.



For a full review of House Committee chairs, click here.

COMMISSIONER TYLER HARPER PRESENTS BUDGET REQUEST

By: GAC Intern Reilly Grady

On Wednesday, January 18, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper gave his report of the FY23 and FY24 budget recommendations. After fielding several good-natured questions from his former colleagues in his first address to the members of the General Assembly as Commissioner, he began by giving a brief overview of the department and all it has done over the past year. He included the successes of the Farm to Food Bank Program, Georgia Grown, and the new and improved website that is much easier to access than before.



Commissioner Harper then went on to thank the general assembly for the $500,000 that the GDA was able to move from marketing into administration to be able to offset additional costs the department was seeing. A key point of this report was the $800,000 that was given for the Georgia Grown Farm to Food Bank program, the Commissioner said that $440,000 has been expended already and that the remainder of the money will likely be expended before the first week of February. There are also around $170,000 in federal funds that the GDA is still waiting to receive to ensure that farms and families in need stay connected in Georgia. The Georgia Agricultural Trust Fund also received funding, and the bulk of that will go towards improving farmers markets around the state after an internal assessment that is currently ongoing. 

For the FY24 Budget, $2,000 will be provided to adjust for the increasing cost-of-living for employees in the department. The Department has requested $776,812 for the 2023 fiscal year and over 1 million dollars in 2024 for the Raw Milk Initiative to be able to ensure proper food safety when selling raw milk. There has also been a request to fund the State Agricultural Response Team, SART, because the GDA is involved in emergency management situations. The money that is being requested for SART will ensure that the appropriate training and salary adjustments are being given to the employees taking on these extra responsibilities or those who are being added. Money has also been requested to recommission the Tifton Lab to maintain the credibility it has.

Lastly, Commissioner Harper discussed the salary of GDA employees that has been reviewed by an independent group and how they are “well underpaid” compared to their equals in other Southeastern states. Commissioner Harper looks forward to increasing this salary to around the 50^th percentile. These salary increases will help to fill the 150 open jobs in the GDA currently to make them a competitive employer.

DON’T MISS THIS

GEORGIA FARMER OF THE YEAR TO BE RECOGNIZED AT GAC ANNUAL MEETING IN ATLANTA

The University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences will recognize the state winner of the 2023 Farmer of the Year award during the GAC Annual Meeting to be held at the Georgia Aquarium on Tuesday, January 31st. We are very excited about hosting this prestigious award recognition and hope you will join us in Atlanta to congratulate this year's winner. Tickets are still available to attend the Annual Meeting and can be found at the link provided in the next section of this newsletter.

The 2023 Farmer of the Year will compete for the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award, which will be announced in October at the Sunbelt Expo in Moultrie. To learn more about the award, visit sunbeltexpo.com/foty. 

GOVERNORS FY24 BUDGET PROPOSAL RELEASED

The Governor's FY24 budget closely mirrored much of what was included in the current fiscal year with a few noteworthy changes. A $2,000 pay increase for state employees will have the largest impact on the state's budget. Members of the House and Senate will now take their turns at putting their own fingerprints on the state budget over the next several weeks and months. Below are some of the recommended budget items that will impact Georgia's ag industry.  

Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA)

-       The Department of Agriculture is set to see an additional $1,710,767 in appropriations. Much of the changes are due to the $2,000 pay increase and the employer share of health benefits. The total can be seen through a $94,446 increase to the Athens and Tifton Vet labs, a $1,088,584 increase in the consumer protection division, and a $152,104 change in Departmental Administration. It also reflects an increase of $347,376 for Marketing and Promotion and $83,257 for State Soil and Water Conservation Commission, which is administratively attached to the Department. These additional appropriations bring the total state funds allocated to GDA to $59,234,714.

Agricultural Experiment Station

-       The Experiment Station is set to receive an additional $415,293 in 2024. This is derived from a $538,828 appropriation that will give all full-time employees a $2,000 pay increase. While this number is higher than the total change amount, it also includes a transfer of funds to Fort Valley State University as per the land grant requirement of $378,752. With these, along with the $255,217 increase for employer share of health benefits it brings the total FY24 budget to $100,549,174.

Cooperative Extension

-       Cooperative extension has received an additional $1,223,829 in the Governor’s proposed budget. This total increase includes an additional $1,042,439 in order to cover the $2,000 pay increase for employees. Like the others, it too has transferred funds to Fort Valley State University in the amount of $161,407. Alongside of these changes is an additional $342,997 for the increase in health benefits bringing the total proposed Cooperative Extension Budget for FY24 to $83,090,982. 

Veterinary Experiment Station

-       The Vet Experiment Station only experienced a change of $102,444 in its FY24 proposed budget. This number comes from the $2,000 pay increase for employees and the increase in employee health benefits which are $76,455 and $25,989 respectively. The addition of these funds brings the total budget to $5,258,289.

Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital

-       The teaching hospital’s budget is only set to change by $41,937. Much like the others, the changes were for the state pay increase and health benefits that were totaled at $38,534 and $3,403. This brings the total FY24 budget to $29,571,250.

REILLY GRADY SERVING AS GAC LEGISLATIVE INTERN

Reilly has joined GAC at the Capitol as the 2023 Gene Sutherland Legislative Intern. She is currently a Sophomore at the University of Georgia with a Major in Agribusiness and a Minor in Environmental Law. Reilly is passionate about Agriculture Policy and we look forward to working with her during this session. 

BILLS OF INTEREST

HB 33 - Representative Beth Camp - A bill to provide for the State Board of Veterinary Medicine to be an independent state agency attached to the Department of Agriculture for administrative purposes only and to provide for contracting with the Department of Agriculture for licensing and other services.

Status: Waiting to be "first read" in the house. GAC is actively engaged in supporting this effort to provide better licensing and support for Georgia veterinarians.

STAR SPONSOR TIME

The 2023 GAC Star Sponsor program registration is now underway and its off to a good start. This program helps with events during the legislative session along with building support for a variety of projects and initiatives that cannot take place without the added participation. Star Sponsors are reflected in each of our newsletters, as posted on this page, along with the weekly legislative reports throughout each session of the Georgia General Assembly, monthly newsletters, and more. Click here for 2023 Star Sponsor registration form or information and email Jill Hansard or call the GAC office at 706-336-6830 or Click Here for Online registration. Thank you!

UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS

January

2023 Ag Forecast will be held on Jan. 27 in Tifton, Georgia! The annual seminar shares the latest research and information from UGA faculty to help farmers and agribusinesses in Georgia's No. 1 industry. Click the logo above for more information.

February

2023 Forestry Day at the Capitol 

February 6-7, 2023

Atlanta, Georgia

Join fellow Georgia Forestry Association members under the Gold Dome in Atlanta for the most important forestry advocacy event of the year. Attendees gain valuable access to political experts and legislative leaders across the state while supporting GFA’s policy priorities. Sponsorship and hotel information is available now! For More Information Click Here

Save the Date

February 14^th GFB Day at the Capital

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

AgSouth Farm Credit

Bagwell Insurance Group, Inc.

Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation

Georgia Electric Membership Corporation

Georgia Power Co.

Osage Farms Inc.

Premium Peanut

Southwest Georgia Farm Credit

Brooksco Dairy LLC

Carroll EMC

Color Burst

DeWitt Produce Co. Inc.

Fort Valley State University

Georgia Cotton Commission

Georgia Crop Production Alliance

GA Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association

Georgia Green Industry Association

Georgia Peanut Commission

Georgia Young Farmers Association

Green Fern Enterprises, LLC

Greg Sikes Farm, LLC

Growers Gin & Warehouse, Inc.

Growers Supply Inc.

Hillside Orchard Farms, Inc.

J & B Irrigation Inc.

Kelley Manufacturing Co.

Leatherbrook Holsteins LLC

Mixon Seed Services Inc.

Mobley Greenhouse, Inc.

Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition

The Turfgrass Group, Inc.

U.S. Poultry & Egg Association

USA Poultry & Egg Export Council

WDairy LLC

Woodruff & Howe Environmental Engineering, Inc.

Agri-Business Technologies, Inc.

American Peanut Shellers Association

Barrington Dairy, LLC

Boston Gin Co.

Broken Antler Farms

C.M. Tanner Grocery Co. Inc.

Calhoun Stockyard Hwy. 53 Inc.

Centurion Poultry Inc.

Circle C Farms Inc.

Coley Gin & Fertilizer

Cotton Partners LLC

Curry Farm Supply Inc.

Easterlin Pecan Company

EGA, Inc.

Emanuel Peanut & Grain LLC

Embry Farm Service

Feeding Georgia

Food Safety Net Services

Funston Gin Co. Inc.

Georgia 4-H Foundation

GA Assoc. of Conservation Districts

GA Assoc. of County Agricultural Agents

GA Assoc. of Professional Ag Consultants

Georgia Cattlemen's Association

Georgia Christmas Tree Association

Georgia Crop Improvement Assoc.

Georgia Federal-State Inspection Service, Inc.

Georgia FFA Association

Georgia Milk Producers Inc.

Georgia Peach Council

Georgia Pecan Growers Association, Inc.

Georgia Pork Producers Association

Georgia Poultry Federation

Georgia Seed Association Inc.

Georgia Vocational Ag Teacher Association

Georgia Watermelon Association

Georgia Women in Agriculture Association Inc.

International Forest Company

Israel Farm Supply, Inc.

L. R. Land & Cattle Company, Inc.

Lenox Peanut Company

Majors Electric & Mechanical Company, Inc.

Moultrie Colquitt County Development Authority

National Peanut Buying Points Assn.

Northeast Georgia Livestock

Oglethorpe Power Corporation

P.G.C. Farms

Pike Creek Turf, Inc.

Quality Gin, Inc.

Red Clay Ranch Equine Rescue & Sanctuary, Inc

Samara Plantation, LLC

Shealy Farms, Inc.

South GA Ag & Fertilizer

Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association

Southern Crop Production Association

Southern Livestock

Southern Seed Company, Inc.

Southern Specialty Equipment

Sweet Corn Co-Op

The Satsuma Company, LLC

Three Brothers Trucking, LLC

Vidalia Onion Business Council

Special thanks to all of our Star Sponsors. Please call our office at 706-336-6830 for details. Thank you!

CELEBRATING 57 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP TO GEORGIA'S STRONGEST INDUSTRY