2021 | June 4 GMP E Newsletter
Georgia Milk Producers Weekly Enews
Republican Gary Black enters Senate race against Raphael Warnock
By Greg Bluestein, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Agriculture Secretary Gary Black entered the race against U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock on Friday, becoming the most prominent Republican to join the field competing to retake a seat long in GOP hands.

Black told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he planned to leverage his outspoken support for former President Donald Trump, his high name recognition from more than a decade in statewide office, and his background in agriculture, the state’s top industry, to emerge from what will be a crowded primary.

“I’ve got the leadership experience, the track record, and the background handling a wide range of duties to be a United States senator,” Black said. “The people of Georgia have been kind enough to hire me before, and I believe they’ll hire me again for a different job.” Read more here>>>
Attention GA Dairy Farm Families:
ACCM Meeting Scheduled for June 17

The Georgia Milk Commission (ACCM) will meet on Thursday, June 17, 2021, at the Macon Farmers Market starting at 9:30 a.m. The purpose of this meeting will be to select funding projects and define our operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year. This meeting is open to all Georgia dairy farmers. If you would like to attend or have questions regarding this meeting, please contact Farrah Newberry by noon on Wednesday, June 16 via email at gamilkproducers@gmail.com or text at 706-207-0168
House AG Chair Looking at Creating Permanent Disaster Program
From GA Agribusiness Council

Georgia Congressman and chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, David Scott, said that his committee is looking at creating a program to fund permanent disaster relief for producers rather than having to go through an annual appropriation for disaster relief. Chairman Scott noted that his experience with Hurricane Michael and the delays in getting help for Georgia farmers have spurred his desire for a permanent option.
 
"It just takes too long and many of our farmers are done away with because we move too slow," Rep. David Scott (D-GA) said during a "Member Day" hearing in which members of Congress pitched bills to the committee.

Scott noted the possibility of such a fund at USDA after another lawmaker on the panel said he wanted to get losses for 2020 included in the Wildfires and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP-Plus).

The JBS ransomware hack was only the latest in a surge of cyberattacks on the U.S. food system
By Jessica Fu + H. Claire Brown, The Counter

The meat giant joins Wendy’s, MillerCoors, and Mondelez among cyberattack victims in recent years. Cybersecurity experts say that this weekend’s hack is unlikely to be the last.

Up to a fifth of the nation’s meat processing capacity went off the grid on Tuesday after JBS, the biggest processor in the U.S., was hit by a ransomware attack over Memorial Day weekend. The breach affected servers at facilities in North America and Australia, and forced the company to pause operations at nearly all plants in the U.S, raising alarm about potential meat shortages for consumers and livestock backlogs on feedlots. 

Those fears may have been a tad premature: By Wednesday, JBS officials announced that the company’s systems were “coming back online,” employees began returning to work; the meat supply chain will barely be disrupted. Late Wednesday evening, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a statement blaming the Russian-speaking group REvil for the attack. The incident followed shortly after another closely-watched ransomware attack in mid-May when the company Colonial Pipeline was forced offline for four days, prompting fuel shortage concerns on the East Coast.

While the JBS hack caught headlines, a closer review of recent cyberattacks on the U.S. food system suggests that the incident is no anomaly. In recent years, hackers have managed to breach the operations of numerous prominent food and beverage companies—including a major beer manufacturer, a distillery, a fast food chain, and snacking giant—in some instances severely disrupting production and causing millions of dollars in damages. Read more here>>>
USDA Says Farmers Who Planted Cover Crops Now Eligible for $5-Per-Acre Premium
By AgDay TV

Farmers who insured their crops this year and made the decision to plant cover crops will now be eligible for a financial bonus from USDA. 

USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced the Pandemic Cover Crop Program, which allows farmers who planted cover crops to be eligible for a crop insurance premium. The assistance is $5 dollars an acre crop insurance premium discount for certain producers.

"Those who insure their spring crops with most insurance policies and then plant a qualifying cover crop during the 2021 crop year," says Acting Administrator of RMA Richard Flournoy. "So this additional benefit for those who have planted cover crops which will help reduce the cost of crop insurance for those producers." 

Not all crops are included in the new program, and the window to apply is short. USDA says farmers have to report cover crop acreage to your Farm Service Agency office by Tuesday June 15th. Watch report here>>>
May 2021 Dixie Dairy Report
By Calvin Covington

In this report:
  • Dairy product prices
  • Milk production
  • Challenging first quarter for fluid milk sales
  • Dairy industry important to Southeast.
  • Milk Prices
  • Blend prices continue to advance

World food price index surges in May to highest level since 2011 -FAO
From Reuters

World food prices rose in May at their fastest monthly rate in more than a decade, posting a 12th consecutive monthly increase to hit their highest level since September 2011, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday.

FAO also issued its first forecast for world cereal production in 2021, predicting output of nearly 2.821 billion tonnes -- a new record and 1.9% up on 2020 levels.

The Food and Agriculture Organization's food price index, which measures monthly changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar, averaged 127.1 points last month versus a revised 121.3 in April. Read more here>>>
Cargill Backs Cow Masks to Trap Methane Burps
By Agnieszka de Sousa, Bloomberg Green

Agriculture giant Cargill Inc. will start selling methane-absorbing wearable devices for cows, putting its support behind an experimental technology that could help the industry cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The mask-like accessory was developed by U.K. startup Zelp Ltd., which claims it can reduce methane emissions by more than half. Cargill said Tuesday it expects to start offering the devices to European dairy farmers in 2022. The companies haven't set a price yet, but Zelp says an annual subscription fee may start at about $80 a cow.
Virtual Corn Silage and Stored Forage Field Day

The field day features presentations and focuses on corn silage and forage production in the livestock industry

Other Stories to Check Out This Week >>>
GA Dairy Classifieds

TO ADVERTISE: EMAIL AD AND CONTACT INFORMATION TO FARRAH NEWBERRY at gamilkproducers@gmail.com

For Sale: Double 8 herringbone bone parlor available in Starr, SC.
Delaval meters, Germania entrance and exit gates with tailboards and indexing tail, Muller plate cooler, receiving jar, filter housing and lowline stainless pipeline. Serious inquiries call 864-617-5911, Iris Barham

Expanding or looking for top quality herd replacement?
Available at all times: 
Fresh two and three year old's and total herds; Also springing heifers and heifers of all ages.  Service age bulls with top genetics available all year round. All different breeds and crossbreds also available. Last two loads of fresh two and three year olds Holsteins went on the trucks averaging 115 lbs and 112 lbs! One load to TN and the other to Wisconsin.
Contact:
Les McCracken 
608-214-6484. Cell
608-879-2653. Fax

Seeking fulltime farm worker at heifer replacement farm in Eatonton, GA. If interested, please contact Mike Rainey at 706-473-0730.

Seeking Beef and dairy crossed bullcalves/heifers bottled or weaned. Please contact Victoria Rowland at 404-922-0938 or 423-946-5869

Will Raise Heifers for GA Dairy Farms: Hello we are located in Southern Illinois and have an abundance of pasture and cheap feed available looking to contract with a dairy to grow heifers for them, out location offers mild climate and we are just 558 miles from Montezuma Ga. Please contact 817-528-6645 very reasonable daily rates.

For Sale- DeLaval 84 Vacuum Pump on Stand, Oil Reclaimer, 10 HP- 3 Phase Electric Motor. New Bearings, New Oil Seal, New Belts. $2000
For more Information Call Tony Strickland , 229-254-6871; deepsouthai@gmail.com

For sale - Please contact Archie Felder for more information at 803-682-3426:
  • Dairy Tech Bay Pasturizer - $4,000
  • Tidenberg Hydraulic Hoof Table (like new) - $5,000
  • Claas Silage Choppers - 960 1875 cutterhead hours, 4WD, 600 orbis, HD300 PU - $180,000
  • Koomin John Deere Corn Header adapter for Claus Silage Chopper Used - $6,000
WANTED: Peter's Cattle Co. will buy any dairy, beef, and cross, bottle or weaned, bulls, heifers or free martins. Pick up weekly 7 days a week. Chris- 470-255-8515
 
Bull Calves WANTED:  Competitive pricing with 6 day a week pickup. Brandon Mason Cattle Company 912-632-4490

FOR SALE :  We have a continuous selection of fresh and springing heifers.   Call William at   (706) 768-2857  or visit our website at   crumpdairyreplacements.org  
Farmer to Farmer Support Program Available for SE dairy farmers
Farmers across the Southeast are experiencing uncertain times like never before. All aspects of agriculture have been hit by market losses due to COVID-19, but dairy has reached a level of uncertainty that many have never experienced.

As we navigate through these next few months, dairy producers across the Southeast have come together to introduce the "Farmer to Farmer Support Program." If you find that you need support or would like to talk to a fellow farmer or industry friend, they have several volunteers that are willing and able to help. Georgia Milk Producers has also put together a packet on the program that you can access by clicking here. 

For more information on the program, please reach out to Farrah Newberry at gamilkproducers@gmail.com