Farm Bill
With Ukraine and Russia at war in the midst of a world moving away from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a lot to consider in the 2023 Farm Bill. Industry experts weighed-in to share their predictions.
The Senate Committee on Ag, Nutrition and Forestry held the first 2023 Farm Bill hearing in early May. Hearing attendees agreed the 2023 Farm Bill should echo elements in the current bill and address new topics.
Efforts to feed hungry people were pursued as part of FDR’s New Deal, with programs feeding people in schools and homes with surplus food. Full authority came later--School Lunch program in 1946, food stamps in 1964.
In his opening statements, Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) set the tone for the meeting, saying “a better, more sustainable future won’t come from the harsh, scolding voices of the naysayers.”
For the upcoming 2023 farm bill, expect chatter and debate about carbon markets, conservation, trade and more. Policy watchers encourage farmers to keep an eye on these issues, as discussions begin in January.
My crystal ball is in the shop, but I’m confident these are some of the issues that are going to be part of the ag policy discussion in the next year.
Look ahead to potential situations including the debt ceiling, WHIP+, President Biden’s challenges, and foreign hotspots.
At least 40 percent of U.S. farmland is rented from absentee landlords rather than owned by farmer operators, which has implications for their ability to adopt conservation practices on that land.
Ahead of the Thursday House farm bill vote host Chip Flory brings in House Ag Chairman Rep. Mike Conaway (R- Texas). Also joining the show is USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey, and Dennis Slater, president of AEM.
The House of Representatives rejected an immigration bill known as “the Ag Act” (H.R. 4760) on a 193-231 vote Thursday. The conservative bill, sponsored by Congressman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia.