ATLANTA – With four members of Georgia’s congressional delegation serving on either the U.S. House or Senate Agriculture Committee, Peach State lawmakers will have a lot to say about the next Farm Bill.
It was in that spirit that state Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper led a group of Georgia farm industry leaders to Washington, D.C., to advocate for priorities including crop insurance reform, an updating of “reference prices” – government-mandated minimum prices for certain crops – and stepped-up technological research.
“It was very productive … an opportunity for us to take the Georgia message and make sure it was heard,” Harper, just back from the trip, told Capitol Beat Friday. “It’s important that we have federal policy in that Farm Bill that works for Georgia.”
Congress must renew the Farm Bill every five years. The deadline for reauthorizing the 2018 Farm Bill is Sept. 30.
Will Bentley, president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, who was on the Washington trip, said a key goal for Georgia is to make the state’s specialty crops – fruits and vegetables – eligible for crop insurance. Specialty crops are not included in the current Farm Bill and, thus, fruit and vegetable growers can’t get insurance coverage for their crops.
“Traditionally, specialty crops were high enough in value” not to need such subsidies, Bentley said.
“Our blueberry crop and peach crop have been hit by natural disasters,” he said. “For the first time ever, these high-value crops need help.”
Besides adverse weather, another problem affecting the economics of specialty crops is also hitting commodities including cotton and peanuts: Reference prices are not keeping up with the inflated costs farmers are being forced to pay for inputs including seeds, diesel fuel and fertilizer.
“With 90% of our nation’s food…
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