Testimony Before the

U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture

By Zippy Duvall, President

Georgia Farm Bureau Federation

October 25, 2007

Good morning Chairman Peterson, Ranking Member Goodlatte, and members of
the Committee. Thank you for calling this meeting and providing Georgia
Farm Bureau the opportunity to speak.

My name is Zippy Duvall, and I am President of the Georgia Farm Bureau
Federation. I am a lifelong farmer from the Greshamville Community in
Greene County, Georgia. I was a dairyman for over 30 years. In 1986, our
farm diversified into poultry, and in 2005, we stopped dairy production
to produce beef cattle and hay. Today, we have a 150 cow commercial beef
herd and four poultry houses through which we produce about a half
million chickens annually.

I would like to thank the three Congressmen from Georgia who serve on
this important committee: Congressman Jim Marshall, who lives in Macon,
the headquarters of Georgia Farm Bureau; Congressman John Barrow, who's
district is the home of our world famous sweet Vidalia onions; and
Congressman David Scott, a true friend of agriculture in a fast growing
metropolitan area near Atlanta.

Georgia farmers have been adversely affected by inclement weather this
year. Freezing temperatures during the Easter weekend caused losses to
many crops, and the extended drought since that time has caused
additional problems.

According to the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and
Economic Development, losses from the freeze amounted to about \$260
million. The persistent drought since that time has caused losses of
nearly \$800 million. My written comments include about twenty
additional pages of data that graphically show how much these events
have cost our farmers. However raw numbers only tell part of the story.

For example, rural North Georgia's economy is based on tourism. Many
people visit the mountains of North Georgia in the fall, and many apple
growers tailor their operations to serve these visitors through
pick-your-own operations, farm markets, and other retail outlets.
Tourists expect apples, but the Easter freeze wiped out 80-90 percent of
the North Georgia apple crop. I recently spoke to a Georgia grower who
has resorted to buying apples to keep his market open. He said Virginia
was the closest place where he could purchase apples. This grower does
not have the option of simply staying out of the market for a season. To
do so would jeopardize his orchard's shelf space in markets for next
year.

Beef and dairy operations have been severely impacted in ways that are
not reflected in the numbers. Livestock producers do not have sufficient
amounts of hay to carry their cows through the winter, and pastures are
in such poor condition that hay was being fed during the summer. Some
cow herds are being liquidated. Healthy calves gaining weight on grass
is profitable for cattle producers, but without the grass, growers are
forced to sell calves at lighter weights, which is a major economic
loss. One North Georgia dairyman is hauling three milk tanker loads of
water per day just to keep his cows watered and his dairy operational.
These types of losses are not reflected in economic data.

The drought has devastated hay production and quality. I spoke with a
commercial hay grower from my home county who is unable to sell some of
his hay because of excessively high nitrate levels due to dry weather.
This condition occurs when plants are not able to adequately utilize
fertilizers.

Some crops have fared better due to irrigation, but irrigation is a
costly proposition. As you can see from data included in this testimony,
there have been substantial losses in cotton, peanuts, corn, soybeans,
and vegetable & fruit crops. In addition to losses in production, these
crops required substantially more in input costs, so farmers are hit on
both sides of the ledger.

The horticulture industry is often overlooked as being affected by the
drought. There is a total ban on all outdoor watering in the northern
half of Georgia, which includes the Atlanta area. While nurserymen may
water their greenhouse and nursery stock, landscapers and homeowners
cannot. As a result, there is scant demand for horticulture products.
Nobody wants to buy a \$50 tree only to watch it die after it is
planted. Horticulture growers have greenhouses full of inventory but no
demand for product because of the drought.

The largest portion of Georgia's farm gate income is derived from
poultry. If the drought continues, poultry processors may be called upon
to curtail their use of water in processing which would negatively
impact growers. If fewer birds are processed, grower down time between
flocks might be extended. Even one or two additional weeks between
flocks would have a substantial detrimental effect on growers making
payments for poultry houses.

In most areas of Georgia, the drought has drastically compounded
problems begun by an untimely freeze. The purpose of my testimony has
been to try to put a human face on these problems, to let you know that
there is much more to this problem than the raw economic data that is
often quoted. The data is important, and we appreciate those who compile
it, but it is not the whole story.

I am here today to let you know there are farmers in Georgia who need
assistance, and I am asking for your help. That is my role as President
of Georgia Farm Bureau.

However, I do not know the best vehicle to provide assistance and
support for our farmers. I know it requires 218 votes in the House and
at least 51 votes in the Senate, so an approach that offers the broadest
base of congressional support would make sense.

Given the number of disasters that are occurring across the country,
some might argue that it is best to try to enact new disaster
legislation. Others may insist that it is better to attempt to revisit
existing legislation. In either case, the money appropriated must be
sufficient to provide the funds necessary to offer meaningful assistance
on a timely basis.

Regarding disaster assistance, Georgia Farm Bureau supports the concept
of a permanent disaster program being included in the farm bill.
However, that proposal loses much of its appeal if it is funded through
farm bill offsets. Disaster assistance should not come from other farm
bill funds.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter, and thank you
for allowing me to testify today. I would be honored to answer questions
if there are any on the committee.