Farm Bureau president lauds passage of farm bill

MACON – Georgia Farm Bureau, the state’s largest general farm organization, applauded the U.S. Senate’s and House of Representatives’ recent passage of the bipartisan Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly known as the farm bill. The Senate passed the bill on Dec. 11 with a vote of 87 to 13 and the House followed on Dec. 12 with a vote of 369 to 47. The legislation now awaits President Trump’s signature to become law.

“Georgia Farm Bureau appreciates Congress passing the 2018 farm bill,” Bureau President Gerald Long said in a news release. “Our organization is pleased with the work Senate and House Agriculture Committee Chairmen Sen. Pat Roberts and Rep. Mike Conaway and ranking members Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Rep. Collin Peterson did to write the farm bill. We especially appreciate the work Georgia’s U.S. Reps. Rick Allen, Austin Scott and David Scott contributed as members of the 2018 Farm Bill Conference Committee, along with the support Rep. Sanford Bishop offered as ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue also worked hard in the Senate to get the bill passed.”

Georgia Farm Bureau officials offered a formal thanks to members of Georgia’s congressional delegation who voted to pass the farm bill: Sens. Isakson and Perdue and Reps. Allen, Bishop, Doug Collins, Drew Ferguson, Tom Graves, Karen Handel, Hank Johnson, John Lewis, Austin Scott, David Scott and Rob Woodall.

Long said it is important that the farm bill is implemented in a timely manner because Georgia’s farmers have not enjoyed the economic recovery that many Americans have experienced the past few years. Low commodity prices, uncertainty in global markets, and Hurricane Michael have created a strain in Georgia’s rural communities.

Agriculture contributed $73.3 billion in output to Georgia’s economy in 2016 and 383,600 job to the state, according to the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development.

“Approval of a long-term farm bill could not come at a more critical time as Georgia farmers – who are responsible for our state’s largest economic sector — are struggling to survive tough economic times, and many farmers in south Georgia are trying to recover from Hurricane Michael,” Long said. “We need to grow our economy by building demand for our agricultural products at the same time that we offer a lifeline to farmers who are struggling.”

As the United States’ official agriculture policy, the farm bill includes nutrition and food safety programs for consumers; commodity support programs, crop insurance, ag research and conservation programs to protect soil, water and wildlife for farmers; and programs that benefit rural communities.

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