The House Agriculture Committee convened a hearing Tuesday to hear from farmers and rural lenders about the state of financial conditions in farm country. Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) painted a depressing picture in his opening remarks. “Declining prices and cash receipts, escalating natural disasters, and increasing input costs have created a perfect storm that will compromise the foundation of …
House Ag Member Still Optimistic for 2024 Farm Bill
Republican Congressman Frank Lucas of Oklahoma still thinks it’s possible to get a farm bill before the end of 2024. “I don’t want to wait personally for January to do the farm bill… I want to do the farm bill as soon as possible,” the senior member of the House Agriculture Committee told the Southern Peanut Growers Conference on Friday …
House Ag Vice Chair Addresses Peanut Growers
Many of his Republican colleagues are in Milwaukee this week for the convention, but Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia put peanut growers and his family ahead of attending his party’s big party. “It’s not that I don’t want to be there, it’s that I have a six year old and a ten year old and I had four other things …
USDA Awards $300 Million for Ag Export Growth
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was joined by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) to announce the allocation of $300 million to 66 U.S. organizations under the new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) to build demand for American food and farm exports in diverse markets around the world. RAPP was launched in October 2023, authorizing $1.2 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funding …
Future of Food & Farming Focus on Farm Bill
“All Crop Rows Lead to Washington” was the title of a Wednesday panel discussion on the National Mall led by Kip Eideberg of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) with Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and David Rouzer (R-NC). The topic was the farm bill and its importance to rural America and the nation as a whole. The panel was part …
Grassley Urges Schumer to Put Farm Bill on the Agenda
Senate Agriculture Committee member Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is calling on Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Democrats to put the farm bill on the Senate agenda. In a letter to Schumer, Grassley pointed out that of the 17 items Schumer outlined for Senate action, the Farm Bill was missing. Grassley is urging the Majority Leader to hold true to …
Senate Ag Committee Leaders Say Farm Bill is Possible
The Ranking Member and Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee are still holding out hope for a new farm bill this year. A Slido poll at the beginning of the Agri-Pulse Ag and Food Policy Summit Monday showed more than 80 percent of attendees believed there would not be a farm bill this year. Ranking Member Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) …
ASTA FCSC Farm Bill Session
As most of agriculture knows, Congress agreed last month to an extension of the current farm bill to avoid a lapse in funding for critical agricultural programs and provide certainty to producers, but when a new farm bill will be crafted remains uncertain. At the recent American Seed Trade Association Field Crop Seed Convention, Syngenta’s Mary Kay Thatcher moderated a …
Farm Bill Extension and Funding Reaction
Congress this week passed a continuing resolution that includes an extension of the 2018 Farm Bill until Sept. 30, 2024. Agriculture groups and companies at the NAFB Convention gave their reactions to the move and what it will mean for negotiations next year. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) praised the government funding package that also extends the Livestock Mandatory …
Minnesota Farmer Takes Over as NCGA President
Minnesota farmer Harold Wolle, takes over as president of the National Corn Growers Association this week with a theme of “shaping the future.” During a press conference today, Wolle talked about his goals over the next year, saying reauthorizing a farm bill that reflects the priorities of corn growers will be a pressing concern. “My most immediate objective is to …