ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Georgia’s top industry is bracing for harvest losses as diesel prices spike past $6 a gallon and federal trade tariffs compress margins, sparking a sharp policy clash between the two candidates running for governor.

Republican nominee Rick Jackson visited Cagle’s Farm in Canton Thursday to pitch his “Georgia Grown” relief blueprint, a three-pronged plan aimed at shielding growers from volatile market swings. The proposal calls for triggering automatic state fuel tax cuts during price surges, cementing key agricultural tax exemptions and establishing localized processing co-ops so farmers can keep more commodity revenue in Georgia.

The political dispute unfolds as diesel prices across Georgia hover above $6.30 a gallon and rising fertilizer expenses add an estimated $20 per acre to harvest costs.

Surrounded by lawmakers and growers, Jackson proposed automatic state fuel tax cuts during price surges, protections for agricultural tax exemptions and local processing cooperatives.

“Family farms should not disappear because one season went wrong, a market collapsed, or a piece of equipment failed,” Jackson said. “A temporary setback should never erase generations of effort.”

When asked if he supports the federal trade tariffs squeezing agricultural margins, Jackson point-blank refused to criticize Washington.

“I’m not going to be blaming the federal government for everything,” Jackson said. “I never grew up blaming other people and becoming a victim.”

The Keisha Lance Bottoms campaign pushed back aggressively, arguing Jackson’s silence shows he will not defend rural communities from federal actions that harm producers.

“Slick Rick Jackson has proven he is too afraid to stand up to Trump and fight for Georgia’s farmers,” Bottoms campaign communications director TaNisha Cameron said in a statement. “He doesn’t disagree with a single policy coming from this White House — even as Georgia’s farmers ring the alarm. Keisha is the only candidate who will stand up for Georgia’s number one industry.”

Along with previously pitched property and grocery tax cuts, Bottoms’ campaign outlines a multi-part agricultural plan to counter Jackson’s proposal.

Her plan includes property tax relief to prevent reassessments when clearing family land titles, expanded agricultural education and tuition-free technical college training, support for cooperative equipment-sharing models, and increased technical assistance to help small, midsize and historically underserved producers access federal farm programs.

While Jackson insists state-level tax cuts can insulate Georgia growers, Bottoms contends family operations will continue to face financial disaster unless state leadership directly confronts federal trade policy.

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