Farm Bill
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.’”
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.
In addition to the timing of the Farm Bill, Hunter Carpenter says there are five provisions they are advocating for on behalf of ag retailers.
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.
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.
“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.”
After four days and 15 rounds of voting, McCarthy’s wait to become Speaker of the House has ended. During his first year as Speaker, he will need to raise the debt limit and fund the government.
“For the next two years, I am intensely focused on… leading the passage of the next five-year Farm Bill, which determines our nation’s food and agriculture policies,” says Sen. Stabenow.
ERP Phase Two is likely to be announced by USDA in coming weeks, according to Jim Wiesemeyer. In a farm bill year, he says there might be more opportunities to capture additional profit.
The House on Friday averted a government shutdown by voting 225 to 201 in favor of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023—the omnibus spending bill. Here’s what’s in it for ag.
“We rely on the support of farm bill funding and programs to ensure continued U.S. leadership as the provider of the best seed to the world,” said Katy Rainey, Purdue associate professor, at the Senate Ag hearing.