Robert Crain
In our divided political world today, our nation needs leaders in Congress who are willing to step across the political divide and engage in bipartisan efforts to help America. And that’s exactly what the Precision Agriculture Loan Program Act (PAL Act) is: bipartisan agricultural legislation that will help Georgia’s farmers and our larger economy.
Georgia has a proud farming history. From President Jimmy Carter’s peanut farm to world-famous Georgia peaches, our state’s agriculture industry is as synonymous with the state as outstanding college football. One-in-seven Georgians work in the agriculture or forestry industries or a related field, and as recently as 2020, there were over 42,000 farms in Georgia covering nearly 10 million acres of land. There is no debating that the agriculture industry is the backbone of Georgia’s economy.
With the passage of the bipartisan PAL Act on the horizon, Congress can help ensure Georgia’s agriculture industry is well-positioned for the future. The legislation, which helps provide access to funding for farmers and ranchers to aid in their ability to acquire modern precision agriculture equipment and technology, will be a significant incubator for innovation and provide the resources Georgia’s agriculture industry needs to continue thriving in the challenging years ahead.
For a state whose agriculture industry sold nearly $10 billion of agriculture products in 2020, it is vital for Georgia’s farmers to remain on the cutting edge of the industry. The capacity to improve efficiency and effectiveness in farming practices is a welcome opportunity.
With the resources available through the PAL Act, our state’s agricultural production levels are only likely to increase and benefit Georgia’s economy and agricultural communities substantially. Precision agriculture innovation includes technology and equipment like precision irrigation to reduce water usage or auto guidance and fleet mechanics that help improve equipment efficiency and cut down on fuel usage.
Not only are these improvements helpful for the environment, but the reduction in waste and increases in machine efficiency and effectiveness also help Georgia farmers cut costs while improving output. It doesn’t take an economist to understand that lower costs combined with the elimination of waste, reducing barriers, and higher output results in a more lucrative operation for the farmers as well.
The benefits of this legislation will extend beyond our farms. Investments and improvements at the source – the farms – will ultimately result in lower costs for consumers in Georgia and across the nation. We all stand to benefit from getting more precision agriculture technology in the hands of more farmers across our state. With the passage of the PAL Act, we’ll be able to do just that.
For generations, Georgia’s agriculture industry has played a prominent role in our state’s economy and today supports over 70,000 jobs. Helping support Georgia’s farmers and ranchers to continue providing essential crops and products throughout our state and country should be an opportunity we do not waste. As evidenced by the bipartisan support of the PAL Act, helping secure opportunities for farmers and ranchers is a common-sense policy. Georgia’s farmers are soon to be well-positioned at the forefront of innovation and advancement in the agriculture industry – helping preserve Georgia’s farms and agricultural communities for generations to come.
Robert Crain is the senior vice president for customer experience of Gwinnett County-based AGCO.
