November 4, 2015
www.gfb.org
Vol. 33 No. 44
GFB POLICY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE HOLDS SECOND ROUND OF TALKS Members of the GFB Policy Development (PD) Committee met in Macon Oct. 12 and Nov. 2 to prepare the policy GFB members will vote on at the organization’s annual convention in December. The PD Committee consists of 30 county presidents, the chairmen of GFB’s 20 commodity advisory committees, 25 GFB board members and seven Georgia members of the American Farm Bureau Issue Advisory Committees. The PD Committee is tasked with sorting through both existing policy and new resolutions. This year, 80 county Farm Bureaus submitted more than 350 new resolutions for consideration. The PD Committee discussed these at length and provided recommendations for the voting delegates at the annual convention who will ratify the policies guiding Farm Bureau’s legislative initiatives. Most of the tax resolutions were about either the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption (GATE) program or Conservation Use Value Assessment (CUVA). The concerns about GATE have been prompted by accusations of misuse of GATE privileges. The committee acknowledged the importance of the GATE program for legitimate agricultural producers and supports efforts to maintain its integrity by working to curb misuse. For long-term preservation of CUVA, the committee urged caution when making changes to the program. The committee expressed support for USDA allowing farmers to utilize generic certificates. These certificates would allow producers additional options in marketing their commodities. Also supported, was the inclusion of cottonseed as a program under the farm bill. This change would treat cottonseed in the same manner as other oil seeds. Several resolutions were submitted regarding highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The committee recommended federal assistance through RMA and disaster programs for growers who are impacted by HPAI. Considering the severe implications HPAI could have for agriculture, the committee supported the state’s efforts to control the outbreak in the timeliest fashion possible. The committee also discussed the use of drones on farming operations and the potential the technology has for agriculture in the future. Some of the policies received on this issue encourage regulators not to restrict access to this new technology, but at the same time, be respectful of private property rights. The committee will meet again for an open session of policy development on Jekyll Island on Dec. 6 at 3:15 p.m. followed by a closed session for committee members only. The purpose of this meeting is to make last-minute recommendations before the voting delegates ratify the final document on Dec. 8 during the GFB Convention.