This article was first published in the Georgia Cattleman Association’s March 2026 magazine.
Through the value of a single dollar for each animal marketed, the Commodity Commission for Beef has created an immeasurable return for the livestock producers throughout Georgia and the Southeast. The funding provided by this investment has paved the way for valuable research, veterinary education, and outreach to producers and consumers and the public across the state. Without this support, the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine would not have been able to provide the breadth of service, education, and research targeted specifically to the needs of the Georgia cattle industry.
The College of Veterinary Medicine has always sought to serve the state of Georgia though outreach and public education as well as participating in formal Extension events, including the Master Cattlemen’s Program. The support of the Commodity Commission for Beef has been instrumental in funding not only travel for these activities, but also directly influenced producers, veterinarians, and youth engagement in hands-on manner. From the initial purchase of the first dystocia simulator to the recent funding to expand and upgrade components, the bovine calving models have been the subject of countless demonstrations to veterinary and undergraduate students, for producer meetings, and for youth development programs. Thousands of individuals have had the opportunity to step up and lend a hand while learning about responsible calving management.
In 2024, following outbreaks of unknown diseases in other production animal groups, the Commodity Commission made available funding to support three years of additional diagnostic tools for cases where traditional necropsy and diagnostic methods were yielding inconclusive results.
This funding line is in direct support of the producer who may have experienced not only significant financial loss but also increased expenses when determining the cause. This funding allows the referring veterinarian to request case assistance based on identifying emerging pathogens, toxicities, or production system failures at no additional cost to the producer.
Through the support of the Commodity Commission, research programs have emerged and received preliminary funding leading to outcomes directly targeted to the Southeastern cattle industry — including cow-calf, dairy, stocker, and feedlot production. The College of Veterinary Medicine has sought this funding to provide producer-oriented and practical solutions to problems faced by producers every day — including bull and cow fertility, calf immune response modulation, dairy-beef calf nutrition and development, and antimicrobial resistance. Additionally, through several surveillance projects, the CVM has been better able to characterize the prevalence of several diseases, including Anaplasmosis and Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus, around the state.
This support from the Commodity Commission has enabled these research, education, and service programs to thrive across the state. The data and experiences have been shared in regional and national meetings and are making a difference to the cattle industry every day. This dollar of support from each animal sold in Georgia has immeasurable value to the College of Veterinary Medicine. We sincerely appreciate your trust in our programs — and we hope we can continue to work together to advance cattle production long into the future.
