Farm Bill
The anti-farmer movement now underway by fringe extremist groups is not pro-animal. It is extremism promoting regressive policies that will chip away at America’s historically stable -- and affordable -- food supply.
The committee will meet on Thursday to officially set the toplines for each of the 12 appropriations bills. If all 12 bills aren’t passed by year-end, automatic across-the-board cuts would kick in to push talks along.
It’s not as simple as you might think. House Ag Chair G.T. Thompson shares a rundown of the funding and extension processes. He says the ag committees need to find new dollars to expand the farm bill budget.
National enrollment in ag and related science majors at two-year institutions grew 41% in Fall 2021. The Community College Ag Advancement Act aims to give these students more industry opportunities.
Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow, (D-Mich.) says there will be no new funding for the 2023 farm bill. However, Stabenow stressed she will not allow a cut in conservation funding.
The Senate and House Ag committees are facing delays in drafting the next farm bill, and it is expected to be the most expensive farm bill to date, clocking in at around $1.5 trillion.
“We don’t need to rewrite the entire farm bill,” Rep. Thompson (R-Pa.) says. “We’re comfortable with many parts of the 2018 bill and there aren’t many tweaks, instead things we need to protect and invest in.”
“We can’t prioritize one natural resource concern over all others and we shouldn’t prioritize one solution above all others,” Rep. G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) said.
Rep. Thompson signaled he wants to hear “commitment from everyone, including the president, that we will get this done and in the manner I’ve been speaking about. Bipartisan, bicameral, on time and highly effective.’”
More than 75% of the farm bill is reserved for nutrition and SNAP. Congressmembers are looking to tighten the reins on SNAP benefits that “cost taxpayers billions and contribute to the nation’s obesity,” says Sen. Rubio.
Lenders In the hearing seemed to agree on a boost to lending limits in USDA guaranteed loans as lawmakers ready for the next farm bill.
The reason for the shift is rooted in financial improvements, according to James Mintert, professor in the Department of Ag Economics at Purdue.
Two recent studies confirm the notion that greater use of conserving practices such as no-till and cover cropping can reduce the incidence of prevented planting under the federal crop insurance program.
During Thompson’s presentation at a crop insurance event, he was passionate about getting a farm bill done, but acknowledged several hurdles that he said could be overcome in a bipartisan approach.
Congress’s ag committees on Monday received a letter, urging them to prioritize ag research infrastructure in the farm bill. According to a report, universities need a $50 billion ag research infrastructure overhaul.
Here we go again. Some farmers and at least one farm-state lawmaker want to move back to payments based on planted and not base acres.
“A commitment to additional financial resources for the farm bill will help to transition our farm and food supplies away from ad hoc support,” the Committee members said in a letter.
A study released by Farm Bureau finds 86% of Americans are concerned about food insecurity, but their trust in farmers remains high at 89%.
We need to know the final funding level in the debt limit debate before there are can be any attempt to mix and match farm bill titles and funds.
An early look at the report shows the House Ag Committee could push for improvements to the current safety net within Title I of the farm bill and move away from relying on Congress to approve ad hoc disaster aid.
As farmers in the Plains continue to see losses from drought, groups like NSP are discussing during Commodity Classic either permanent disaster aid or other changes to strengthen the safety net within Farm Bill.
ASA CEO: Renewable Diesel Could Drive a New Era for Soybean Demand, But EPA Needs to Rethink the RFS
ASA policy priorities during Commodity Classic focus on everything from the Farm Bill to EPA’s recent Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) proposal, while also pushing for increased market access through trade.
As drought creates a dire situation for farmers in the Southern Plains, National Sorghum Producers is not only concerned about the financial outlook for 2023, but how disaster aid payments will be dispersed for 2022.
“The prioritization of resource concerns must be left to the local level where producers decide how they can best address their unique and varied landscapes and needs,” said Sen. John Boozman.
SNAP, which historically receives the greatest amount of farm bill funding, will see an 82% increase of a quarter-trillion-dollars.
The House will take the reins in writing farm bill 2023. House Ag Chairman Thompson says the pen is “firmly” in his hand, with few tweaks to be made from 2018. The Senate says their version is nearly complete.
A Senate Ag Committee hearing Thursday on the new farm bill raised a issue that is now evident: the Title 1 farm bill safety net can no longer deal with the current ag environment.
The 2018 farm bill was stamped with a $428 billon price tag when passed. With the bill set to expire on Sept. 30, here’s a breakdown of the topics ag groups look to push on the negotiating table.
With Republicans now in control of the House, Rep. RandyFeenstra (R-Iowa) said he wants to introduce legislation shielding the stepped-up basis and like-kind exchanges.
Vilsack said USDA believes there are more options for farmers other than “get big or get out. There’s got to be a system in which the many and most have a fair shot.”