Photo by Jay Stone
May 2, 2024
www.gfb.org
Vol. 6 No. 9
U.S. HOUSE AND SENATE AG COMMITTEES RELEASE FARM BILLS On May 1, the agriculture committees of both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate released their drafts of the next farm bill, along with summaries of the bills’ provisions. When Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) leaders visited Washington, D.C., April 9-11, they conveyed the organization’s stances on the commodities, conservation and crop insurance provisions in the farm bill. The 2018 farm bill has been extended and is set to expire Sept. 30. What follows is GFB’s points of emphasis and what the committees say about how their bill handles those topics. Commodity programs GFB maintains that commodity programs like Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) from the 2018 farm bill which provide protection from substantial drops in revenue, are vital economic tools to support the nation’s food and fiber needs. Additionally, commodity reference prices established in those programs should increase to account for rising farm production costs. According to the farm bill summary from House Ag Committee Republicans, their commodity title reauthorizes and enhances commodity, marketing loan, sugar, dairy, and disaster programs. This includes increased support for the PLC and ARC to account for persistent inflation and rising costs of production. The House bill also: • Provides authority to expand base acres to include producers who currently cannot participate in ARC/PLC. • Modernizes marketing loans and sugar policy. • Bolsters dairy programs to continue providing vital assistance. • Enhances standing disaster programs and expands eligibility for assistance. -continued on next page