Membership

Happy New Year! As of December 31, 2012, your

GCA membership totaled 4919, with 4190

regular, 115 associates and 614 junior members.

We continue to be very close to our 5000 member

goal and are almost certain to reach it before our

2013 Convention in April. If each chapter will

make a concerted effort to reach out to expired

members, ask a few agriculture oriented

businesses to join (our magazine makes great

waiting room reading at your local bank or car

dealership), and reach out to that neighbor that has

put off joining one more time; we will exceed our

goal. Thank you again for all of your hard work in

2012. Just Keep Asking and we will have

something special to celebrate at Convention!!!

GCA Nominating Committee – Last Call

The Nominating committee will wrap up their

task of looking for qualified individuals to serve

in GCA leadership positions early this month. If

you have suggestions of individuals that could

help move GCA forward please share those

immediately with nominating committee

Chairman Steve Blackburn (214-912-1993,

sebcofarms@gmail.com), or other committee

members (full committee list included in Dec.

Leadership Newsletter and Nov. issue of Georgia

Cattleman). Positions to be filled include the

State Officers (President, President-Elect, Vice-

President, and Treasurer), two Executive

Committee members, Regional Vice Presidents

for Regions 2, 5, 8, 11, and 14, and a GCA

representative on the Georgia Beef Board.

January 2013

GCA sets 2013 Legislative Priorities

The 2013-14 Georgia General Assembly will kick

off on January 14 and the GCA Executive and

Legislative Committees have been hard at work

over the past year developing priorities that will

help advance the interests of Georgia’s cattle

industry. Here are the priorities we will be

working on this year:

- Passage of enabling legislation to form

the Commodity Commission for Beef.

This will allow for a producer referendum

on a state beef checkoff in fall of 2013

(see update article on pg. 34 of Jan.

Georgia Cattleman);

- Advocate for adequate funding for the

Veterinary Diagnostic Labs so that two

viable, accredited laboratories may

remain operational to serve Georgia’s

livestock industries (see article on pg. 60

of Dec. Georgia Cattleman for additional

details);

- Petition for the funding of a Beef Cattle

Research scientist in Tifton. This position

yielded beneficial research in past

decades but has been unfilled for a

number of years.

Please share these priorities with your Senators

and Representatives. Don’t hesitate to contact

the office for additional information.

Legislative Steak Biscuit Breakfast

GCA will again host a legislative steak biscuit

breakfast in the Capitol in late February. Look for

a specific date in the February Leadership

Newsletter. Our goal is always to insure that the

Legislature is in session when we bring beef to the

Capitol. This is our most impactful event of the

year – please make it a priority to attend. We

LLeeaaddeerrsshhiipp NNeewwsslleetttteerr

would love to have cattlemen members from

every region of the state represented. The

Legislative Committee will host a legislative

update conference call prior to the Breakfast to

provide attendees information about the event and

an update on GCA legislative priorities.

Federal Update: Fiscal Cliff Averted–For Now

Our friends at NCBA provided the following

outline of impacts to cattlemen from the passage

of HR 8: · Permanently extends the 2001 and 2003 tax rates

for individuals with income below $400,000 ($450,000

per couple),

· Rates for incomes over these thresholds will rise

from 35 to 39.6%,

· Rates for dividends and capital gains will rise

from 15 to 20% for those over these thresholds,

· The automatic sequestration cuts have been

postponed for two months,

· Death Tax exemption remains at $5 million ($10

million per couple), but the rate over that amount goes

from 35 to 40%,

· Death Tax exemptions remain tied to inflation

and maintain the step up in basis,

· There is a permanent patch for the alternative

minimum tax (AMT),

· Extends the 2008 Farm Bill until September 30th,

2013,

· Authorizes limited disaster assistance for Fiscal

Years 2012 and 2013 (subject to these programs

receiving money from the appropriations committees)

- $80 million for livestock indemnity payments,

- $400 million for the livestock forage disaster

program,

- $50 million for emergency assistance for livestock

Animal Disease Traceability (ADT)

On Dec. 20, 2012, Agriculture Secretary Tom

Vilsack made an announcement about the ADT

rule and mentioned important provisions included

in the rule. Under the final rule, unless specifically

exempted, livestock over 18 months of age,

moved interstate would be required to be

officially identified and accompanied by an

interstate certificate of veterinary inspection or

other documentation, such as owner-shipper

statements or brand certificates. After announcing

that the final ADT rule would be published in the

Federal Register on Dec. 28, 2012, the USDA

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

(APHIS) announced last week that publication

would be postponed until the first week of

January, making the effective date early March, or

60 days from when the rule is published. GCA

will continue to work Ga Dept of Agriculture state

veterinarian, Dr. Robert Cobb, to provide accurate

information to producers and insure the ADT rule

is implemented in a way that causes the least cost

and disruption when marketing cattle in Georgia.

NCBA Convention - Registration Open

2013 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade

Show is set for Feb 6 – 9, 2013 in Tampa Florida.

Registration open at www.beefusa.org. This is a

unique opportunity to attend an NCBA

Convention that is close to home. The Convention

features the world’s largest cattle focused trade

show and will feature updates seminars from the

top beef cattle industry experts in the world.

2013 GCA Convention and Beef Expo

Make plans today to attend the 52nd Annual

Convention and Beef Expo in Perry. UGA

Extension Forage Specialist Dennis Hancock and

the Georgia Grazing Lands Conservation

Coalition are putting together an outstanding

Forage Conference for Wed., April 3rd. The GCA

Convention officially kicks off April 4th with a

marketing seminar, kick-off luncheon, and Trade

Show opening. Angus, Hereford, Commercial,

and Club Calf sales will be held Friday and

Saturday along with more educational break-out

sessions and the GCA annual meeting. If you are

interested in the cattle business, Georgia National

Fairgrounds is the place to be April 3 – 6, 2013!

GCA Local Fundraising Raffle Continues!

Sold out of Raffle Tickets? We’ll send more.

We’ve heard from several local chapters that have

already sold out of tickets. We have several

hundred more in the office and we will be happy

to send them – just let us know how many you

need (478-474-6560). The funds raised for your

chapter provide a great opportunity to support

local youth activities, scholarships, or an

educational program that won’t require using a

sponsor. The $1000 grand prize will be drawn at

the GCA Convention.