Cattle and timber producers in Georgia are encouraged to attend a free virtual workshop sponsored by Fort Valley State University’s Cooperative Extension Program June 30.
From 12-1 p.m., Extension Ag Updates: Cattle and Forestry, will be available through ZOOM teleconference and simulcast live on FVSU’s College of Agriculture’s Facebook page (https//www.facebook.com/FVSUCAFST). Participants for the ZOOM conference must register in advance at bit.ly/fvsuag-cattle-forestry-update.
In Georgia, 1.3 million head of cattle are raised in all 159 counties with an economic impact of more than $2 billion. The timber industry’s statewide economic footprint is more than $35.9 billion and accounts for more than 147,000 jobs.
Topics of discussion will include updates on beef cattle markets, the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) and forestry economics and taxation.
Titus Andrews, FVSU area Extension agent housed in Laurens County, will serve as moderator for the workshop. Andrews said agents and program assistants have several clients with large herds of cattle. Some clients also have large tracts of land planted with pine trees through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) or Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) programs.
“By attending this webinar, beef and timber producers can hear how COVID-19 has affected their perspective markets. They will also learn how to plan for the future by reducing or increasing the size of their herds, or whether to cut their timber now or wait for better prices,” Andrews said.
Featured speakers include Dr. Tommie Shepherd, agribusiness economist for the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development; Theresa Windham, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) district director for Peach and surrounding areas and Dr. Yanshu Li, forest economics and taxation outreach specialist for UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.
For more information and to register, contact Bobby Solomon at (478) 235-8701 (solomob@fvsu.edu) or Leon Porter at (478) 235-8697 (porterl@fvsu.edu).