Gov. Nathan Deal visited the Newton County FFA-FCCLA camp Thursday night to speak to members of the Piedmont Cattleman's Association.

Deal spoke about his childhood memories at the camp and encouraged the youth and parents to continue to be active in agriculture and showing animals. He promised the local cattleman that he would protect their interests while in office and help them adapt to an ever changing industry and world.

"Sometimes an industry like the cattle industry encounters those who think they know what's best for everyone and try to impose rules that have no common sense associated with them, and too many good people who never had experience of growing up in an agriculture environment buy into those ideas and points of view," he said. "I want to assure you, as long as I'm governor of this state, we will try to protect the agriculture industry to make sure we do not put up undue barriers and impediments to making you have a profitable enterprise. We value what you do."

While the economy is struggling, Josh White, executive vice president of the Georgia Cattleman's Association, said the agriculture and beef industry remain successful. He said exports are booming and the U.S. produces 20 percent of the beef in the world with only 7 percent of the world's cattle.