I’ve lived in Colquitt County my whole life. Until retiring, I grew row crops (cotton, peanuts, corn and tobacco) and raised cattle for a while. While I rent my farm to another farmer who grows cotton and peanuts, I keep up with farm issues.

There are a lot of misconceptions being spread about HB 545. Most of this misinformation is coming from activist trial lawyers, environmental groups and others who oppose production agriculture. A coalition of Georgia ag organizations (Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Cattlemen’s Association, Georgia Agribusiness Council, Georgia Milk Producers, Georgia Poultry Federation and Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association) support this legislation because their farmer members, like me, have asked them to protect our farms from nuisance lawsuits.

Opponents of HB 545 have said this legislation could negatively impact soil, water and air quality. This isn’t true. Farmers have to obtain permits to manage livestock manure produced on their farms and to apply pesticides to their crops. There are strict environmental regulations farmers must follow for storing manure or applying it to their land as fertilizer to protect the environment. The same goes for row crop farmers who use chemicals to protect their crops from insects and diseases. 

HB 545 doesn’t change the environmental regulations farmers must follow that are enforced by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Georgia Department of Agriculture, U.S. Environmental Protection Division and other regulatory agencies. HB 545 wouldn’t keep farmers from having to comply with county, state or federal laws related to zoning or the environment. 

Opponents of HB 545 say this legislation benefits large corporate livestock farms and doesn’t protect the family farmer. They’re wrong. Livestock farmers who have been put out of business recently in other states due to lawsuits were family farmers. 

Colquitt County ranked ninth in the state for poultry and egg production in 2018 according to the UGA Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development. The chickens and eggs poultry farmers in our county grew that year had a value of $204.56 million. 

What would happen to Colquitt County’s economy if our poultry farmers were put out of business due to lawsuits? Think about the many purchases poultry farmers make to keep their farms running – fuel, electricity and equipment. Think about the ripple effect it would have on our economy if they were no longer operating and the jobs that would be lost. 

Nuisance suits aren’t limited to livestock producers. They can be filed against all types of farmers if a neighbor doesn’t like the sound of our equipment or things we must do to grow our crops. 

If you’re a farmer or make your living from a job associated with agriculture, I encourage you to ask your state senator to vote for House Bill 545. It is necessary that the Georgia legislature pass this bill so that Georgia farmers can continue to grow the food and fiber we rely on.

Lawton Matthews

Legislative Committee Chairman

Colquitt County Farm Bureau

Moultrie, Ga.