BANKS COUNTY, Ga. — Friday morning, dozens gathered in Banks County to celebrate the opening of a 200,000 square foot cold storage facility.
The building will be used to put Georgia agricultural products on ice before being shipped all over the world.
“Millions and millions of dollars, and years of investment went into this,” Will Bentley, a cattle farmer and president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, said.
Each year, Georgia farmers produce the most peanuts, pecans, and chicken in the nation. More than $1 billion of those products then get sent overseas in trade.
According to federal data, Georgia exported $3.9 billion in agricultural products in 2022. That includes more than $1 billion worth of cotton and more than $500 million in chicken.
But with a trade war, some are concerned those numbers could drop, especially considering one of the biggest international buyers is China.
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“China is one of the largest purchasers of corn beef, chicken and some other crops,” Emory professor Saloni Firasta-Vastani said.
She worries the trade war could damage exports to a country that bought $30 billion in agricultural products in 2022 while also increasing costs for producing agricultural products.
However, Bentley said the tariffs provide a chance to level the playing field.
“It’s about as painful as it gets right now, and that has nothing to do with tariffs,” Bentley said.
Bentley said many farmers are struggling with an unfair system that has Georgia Farmers undercut by countries that do not pay as much for labor nor deal with some of the same regulations.
“There is going to be some short-term pain, but we are hoping ultimately it will lead to some better years when we come out of it,” Bentley said.
Firasta-Vastani warns that trade deals could impact the bottom-line consumers pay.
“It would level, somewhat, the playing field, but it does translate to consumers paying higher prices,” Firasta-Vastani said.
However, many farmers and consumers hope the end result will make local farmers more competitive without costing consumers or international trade partners.
“Every now and then, you have to renegotiate with our partners because they can get lopsided,” Bentley said. “We need something, we need help, and we hope this is a catalyst for better times.”
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