Hunter Carpenter, Senior Director of Public Policy at the Agricultural Retailers Association, came on The Scoop podcast to talk about powerful advocacy tools ag retailers can use.
One example is the Congressional visit guide ARA has assembled for its members.
“It’s really a comprehensive package of how to host a member of Congress at their facility. We do have not only a list of do’s and don’ts but also samples in terms of the invitation letter, media advisories, and press releases,” Carpenter says. “It’s a great way for ARA members to learn a little bit more about advocacy and be an educator for members of Congress. It’s really as a great member service that ARA offers.”
Carpenter also says the mid-terms will be an important election cycle to watch.
“Ahead of the midterms, it’s important to remember that historically the president’s party loses seats in midterm elections. I don’t think this one will be any different although we’ve yet to see at what margin obviously, this democratic controlled Congress will lose seats. The last four presidents have lost Senate and House majorities and seven of those eight chambers were lost in midterm election. So this will be a huge year for politics in America,” he says.
On the policy front, Carpenter shares two updates from the summer, including the action to not put countervailing duties on UAN and the Inflation Reduction Act.
On the fertilizer trade ruling Carpenter says, “We’ve already seen an influx of UAN imports. This will mitigate some of the price issues that we’re seeing in the markets right now. There are a whole host of reasons for why fertilizer prices have been so high. This was just another prong on that fork, but we are pleased with the ITC is ruling and want to make sure that ARA’s farmer customers get the products that they need at affordable prices in a timely manner and we think that this will aid in that that effort.”
On the recently signed Inflation Reduction Act, Carpenter shares this insight:
“One note for the ag sector that’s very important is the amount of funding almost $20 billion in new conservation funding to support climate smart agriculture, which of course is something that ARA supports,” he says.
Carpenter says precision ag will do for agriculture in this century what mechanization did in the previous century.
“The gains will be in improving yields, helping the ag retailer and their farmer customers do what’s best not only for their field and for their crop but also for the environment,” he says.
In the Inflation Reduction Act, the EQIP program will receive $8.5 billion; $5 billion will go to additional funding for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program; and $3.25 billion for CSP.
“So there are a number of different programs in NRCS that will utilize this funding and we’re hoping that ag retailers will continue to be that trusted advisor working on nutrient management efforts for their farmer customers. This is a great way for the ag sector to do great things for the environment as well. So we are pleased this funding will be made available and continue to urge NRCS to streamline that certification process to provide for tangible service providers,” Carpenter says.
Listen to the full Scoop podcast episode for more on the upcoming Farm Bill as well as details on ARA’s 30-year anniversary, which will be celebrated at the 2022 ARA Conference and Expo.
