ATLANTA (February 14, 2013) – The State Senate passed Senate Bill 97 to create the Agricultural Commodity Commission for Beef, sponsored by Sen. John Wilkinson (R-Toccoa), with a vote of 47-0.
“I want to thank my colleagues in the Senate for supporting this measure,” said Sen. Wilkinson. “The current system we have with the National Beef Checkoff has not been able to keep up with the growing population and its respective beef demands. This new commission will sustain beef research, promotion and education efforts that farmers have enjoyed in the past.”
Georgia currently has 15 agricultural commodity commissions that are farmer-funded programs in milk, eggs, peanuts, sweet potatoes, peaches, tobacco, apples, cotton, soybeans, canola, pecans, corn, vegetables, blueberries, and ornamental plants.
Each commission is composed of the following members:
- Commissioner of Agriculture, ex officio ;
- President of the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation, ex officio;
- One non-legislative member elected by the Senate Agriculture Committee, who is a producer of an affected agriculture commodity, ex officio;
- One non-legislative member elected by the House Agriculture Committee, who is a producer of an affected agriculture commodity, ex officio;
- Five additional members who are producers of the affected agricultural commodity, to be appointed by the ex officio members of the commission.
SB 97 will also require examining all commodity commissions every three years to evaluate its sustainability and necessity to Georgia’s agriculture industry.
RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
February 14, 2013
For Information Contact:
Jennifer Yarber, Interim Director
Kate Greer, Broadcast Specialist
Kate.Greer@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028