Georgia dairy farmers approve renewed and expanded industry assessments

Published 7:42 am Thursday, July 3, 2025

Georgia dairy farmers overwhelmingly approved two statewide referendums to continue and expand funding for dairy education, marketing, and research. The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Milk (GA ACCM) certified the results at its June 24 meeting in Perry, Georgia. These votes allow dairy producers to continue the $0.10/cwt assessment for GA ACCM programs and introduce a new up to $0.025/cwt assessment to support initiatives led by Georgia Milk Producers, Inc.

Producers voted 98% in favor of renewing the GA ACCM assessment, which funds the Georgia Mobile Dairy Classroom and marketing campaigns through The Dairy Alliance. In a second vote, 92% of producers supported the new assessment, enabling Georgia Milk Producers to host educational workshops, grow public awareness efforts, and organize the Georgia Dairy Conference, which is the Southeast’s largest dairy industry event. These programs help build producer knowledge, expand markets, and strengthen the future of Georgia’s dairy sector.

Georgia’s dairy industry contributes roughly $3.4 billion each year to Georgia’s economy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture ranks Georgia 1st in the Southeast United States in milk production and 22nd nationally. Since 2010, Georgia has boosted fluid milk output by nearly 40%, with dairy farmers earning recognition for their leadership in sustainability, cow comfort, and production efficiency.