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The legislative budget for Georgia includes funding vital to helping protect the state’s farming commodities, including specialty crops, from nuisances like feral hogs and deer.
Chris Butts, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), addressed both following a GFVGA webinar that highlighted the most recent legislative session.
“It can be devastating if you go and plant a new field and invest in seed and fertilizer and other technology and you come out the next morning and that area has been devastated by either hogs or deer. It’s certainly not exclusive to fruit and vegetable production, either,” Butts said. “We’ve got a big deer population in Georgia and obviously, a growing feral hog population in Georgia. They can do some real damage. We’re pleased to see some resources to try to alleviate some of these problems.”
The funding included $150,000 for the Georgia Department of Agriculture for the Feral Hog Task Force (in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR). There has also been $300,000 allocated to the Georgia DNR for funding for the processing of venison donations which would encourage deer harvests.
By Clint Thompson