House Republicans would like to to cut spending at USDA and the Food and Drug Administration by as much as 14 percent for the government’s fiscal year ending Sept. 30. This would amount to $3.2 billion of what the two agencies received in fiscal 2010. The details haven’t been ironed out, but if Republicans succeed [...]
Archive for the ‘2012 Farm Bill’ Category
19 Jan
Stabenow Pledges Bipartisan Approach to Farm Bill
In an address to the Michigan Agri-Business Association’s Winter Conference, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), the new chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, promised a bipartisan approach to the 2012 farm bill. She also said sound science must drive agricultural policy. “With almost 7 billion mouths to feed around the globe, we need American leadership in [...]
11 Jan
Direct Payments Remain in Policy Book
It was supposed to be one of the biggest and most controversial issues in Farm Bureau policy this year. The showdown between states that supported the elimination of direct payments and those that favored keeping them was supposed to take up much time on the delegate floor. Except that’s not what happened. The much anticipated [...]
4 Jan
Farm Bill Cuts Would Make Tiny Dent in Deficit
As discussion develops on writing a 2012 farm bill and reducing the federal budget deficit, there may be talk of cutting “farm subsidies.” But the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri points out that such cuts would make just a tiny dent in the federal budget deficit. “Defenders of current [...]
21 Dec
CRS Outlines Farm Bill Issues
FarmPolicy.com reports today on a report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) outlining the biggest issues for the next Farm Bill. The report mentions increased calls for a departure from direct payments in favor of expanded insurance and disaster programs, and linking payments to farm revenue as opposed to commodity prices. “Managing farm risk—Crop insurance [...]
2 Dec
Colorado Farm Bureau: Eliminate Direct Payments
Delegates to the 2010 Colorado Farm Bureau Annual Meeting last month approved a policy that supports the elimination of direct payments in the 2012 Farm Bill. The policy favors an expanded revenue insurance program and improved risk management tools. “Our delegates decided that the industry needs to make tough decisions like these. I think they [...]
2 Dec
Deficit Comission Plan Includes Cuts to Farm Programs
On Wednesday, a 10 percent cut in farm support programs was proposed by an 18-member bipartisan commission intent on balancing the federal budget. A vote by the commission on the overall plan, which encompasses the entire federal government, is expected Friday. A net cut of $10 billion ($1.25 billion per year) through 2020 in Agriculture [...]
2 Nov
Oklahoma Farm Bureau Supports Direct Payments
Sets Up Policy Fight at National Level Update: AFBF President Stallman affirms direct payments debate will be issue #1 at AFBF Annual Meeting. Setting up a potential policy battle between proponents of direct payments and those that favor risk-management programs, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau resolutions committee voted earlier this week that the next farm bill [...]
8 Sep
Iowa Farm Bureau: Eliminate Direct Payments
Direct payments to farmers should be eliminated in favor an improved revenue insurance program and a contribution to federal deficit reduction. A resolution to that effect was passed by Iowa Farm Bureau delegates at their summer policy conference Friday. “What we did was left the policy open saying we’ll remove the direct payments, but if [...]
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