Georgia agriculture chief seeks staffing, lab and vehicle funding as rural center integrates into Department of Agriculture

Commissioner Tyler Harper updated the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Department of Agriculture's priorities and budget strains, saying the agency will complete the Rural Center's integration and transfer those employees to state employment in January.

Harper said the move will house staff "in Department of Ag facilities" in Tipton and end the university's (ABAC) personnel arrangement on Dec. 31, while the agency will pursue construction funding for an Atlanta lab and year-round operational support for staff. "There'll be a full, separation and inclusion under the Department of Agriculture, effective basically in January," he said.

Why it matters: the department oversees food safety, animal health and rural economic development across Georgia. Harper told the committee those responsibilities are stretching current staff and finances as licensed entities increase.

Harper gave specific program details. On hemp regulation, he said the state now has "7,200 licensed hemp entities" across growers, processors, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, with the lion's share in retail. He reported roughly 1,200 inspections of retail or wholesale locations and 13 inspections for growers, plus about 900 cease-and-desist or notice-of-violation letters and 31 criminal investigations since the division expanded enforcement this year. Harper added there are nearly 1,000 pending hemp applications many of which are incomplete.

On animal disease, Harper said Georgia has recorded eight detections of high-path avian influenza (HPAI) since February 2022, affecting about "345,000 birds" in the state compared with roughly 182 million nationwide, and described continued dairy monitoring after recent national cases.

Budget pressures were a central theme. Harper told members the department absorbed roughly $1.12 million in federal funding reductions carried into state operations and has denied about 22 meat-processing license applications in recent months because the agency lacks inspection capacity. "When you look at a 33% increase in licensed entities and about a 12% increase in employment, those numbers don't necessarily equate," he said, urging appropriations to cover pay raises, vehicle replacement and software licensing.

Harper also described work on a USDA block grant tied to Hurricane Helene recovery. He said the department finalized formulas with federal partners before the federal shutdown and will submit them to USDA for sign-off when operations resume so the state can open applications. "We are going to submit our formulas to USDA for sign off," he said, and the state has staff and back-office systems ready to open applications immediately.

The committee did not take formal action but members pressed for clarifications about federal reimbursement, staffing needs and the timeline for the block-grant application period. Harper said the department has hired additional inspectors and an emergency management specialist who will start Dec. 1, but he said sustained effectiveness will require more staff and recurring operational funding.

Next steps: Harper asked the committee to consider targeted appropriations for inspection capacity, vehicle replacement and lab construction as part of the upcoming session.