Cotton was ‘not completely left out’ of 2014 farm law
At a House Agriculture subcommittee hearing early this month, the National Cotton Council, an industry trade group, said growers are “vulnerable to further instability” due to low cotton prices.
How a ‘surgical’ CRP could reduce nutrient runoff
A former high-ranking USDA official, Bruce I. Knight, argues in an opinion piece on Agri-Pulse that the conservation reserve program should focus on "environmentally sensitive acreage" rather than placing high-quality croplands under CRP contracts. "When we use CRP in the conservation portfolio of tools we should use it surgically and strategically to trap and treat nutrient runoff or to provide specific habitat benefits rather than large-scale whole field enrollments," he writes.
Dairy farmers ask $100–$150 million in USDA cheese-buying
To bolster milk prices and help keep dairy farmers in business, the USDA should buy up to 90 million pounds of cheese and donate it to food banks, says the National Milk Producers Federation.
Farm groups flex muscle in surprisingly urban “Big First” district of Kansas
Traditionally conservative farm groups, from the Kansas Farm Bureau to the National Association of Wheat Growers, lined up against Rep. Tim Huelskamp, a Tea Party favorite, ahead of today’s Republican primary in the “Big First” congressional district of Kansas.
Farm income forecast at half of 2013’s peak for years
Low commodity prices will hold net farm income below $60 billion annually - half of the record $123 billion of 2013 - for years to come, said a University of Missouri think tank.
Spare us from budget cuts, says everyone in ag and food
In a show of solidarity, 254 groups spanning the world of food and agriculture signed a letter of opposition to any cuts in USDA programs in the coming fiscal year.
In a big ag district, ranchers oppose conservative incumbent
The "Big First" congressional district of Kansas covers nearly two-thirds of the state and perennially is among the top agricultural districts in the country. The Republican primary for Congress isn't until Aug. 2 but the Kansas Livestock Association already decided to back a challenger, physician Roger Marshall, over third-term incumbent Tim Huelskamp, a Tea Party conservative.
First-year price of 2014 farm-bill crop subsidies, $6.5 billion
The government will make its first crop-subsidy payments under the 2014 farm law in October, with an estimated transfer of $6.5 billion to follow, said USDA deputy undersecretary Alexis Taylor at a House Agriculture Committee hearing.
Food-stamp enrollment is lowest in nearly four years
Enrollment in food stamps, the premiere U.S. antihunger program, at latest count was the lowest since July 2011, according to USDA data. Some 45.4 million people received food stamps in April, the most recent month for which figures are available.
House ag leaders claim central role in food-aid reform
Any revisions to U.S. food-aid programs must be discussed with the agricultural community, said House Agriculture Committee chairman Michael Conaway in a statement. The 2014 farm law allowed greater use of locally purchased food and cash assistance in hunger relief, but kept donation of U.S.-grown food as the major source of aid; many other nations donate cash rather than commodities.
Corn, soy, wheat growers opt for farm law’s revenue subsidy
Told to choose between traditional subsidies and a new-era revenue subsidy, corn and soybean farmers overwhelming opted for the revenue plan, the government announced. Growers were expected to choose the Agriculture Risk Coverage plan, analysts said, because it will provide larger payments than traditional subsidies triggered by low prices over the life of the 2014 farm law.
House panel would delay menu labels, school-lunch reforms
Administration proposals to put calorie counts on menus and to reform school lunches would be delayed by one year under a bill drafted by the House Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture. The subcommittee also would restrict the 2015 update of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the government's tips for healthy eating, "to only matters of diet and nutrient intake" - a rejection of the proposal from a panel of experts to encourage sustainable food production.
Rockey to head new food and ag research foundation
The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), created by the 2014 farm law, has hired Sally Rockey as its executive director. She begins work in September.
Crop-support outlays hold steady under 2014 farm law
U.S. grain, cotton and soybean farmers will collect an average of $11.2 billion a year in crop subsidies and crop insurance benefits under the 2014 farm law, down by nearly 1 percent from the average of the preceding decade, says a University of Missouri think tank.
Farmers get one more week to choose ARC or PLC subsidy
Growers have one additional week, until April 7, to select their crop-subsidy program for the life of the 2014 farm law. They must choose between the insurance-like Agricultural Risk Coverage, which shields growers from declines in crop revenue, and the traditional Price Loss Coverage, which guarantees a minimum price. The USDA announced the one-week extension, saying 10 percent of likely farm-program participants had not made a decision as of last week.
Ethanol foes target USDA aid for blender pumps
A group of 18 U.S. representatives, including the chairmen of the House Judiciary and Rules committees, is trying to block USDA grants for installation of blender pumps that sell gasoline with a higher ethanol content than the traditional 10 percent.
USDA proposes tighter subsidy rules for 3 percent of farms
A new rule proposed by the USDA would limit joint ventures and general partnerships to a maximum of three people who can collect crop subsidies by declaring they are farm managers. The proposal is open for public comment until May 26. The 2014 farm law empowered the USDA to write stricter rules about who is "actively engaged" in farming, but it exempted family farms, which constitute 97 percent of the 2.1 million farms in the country.
GOP-run Congress may seek USDA budget cuts
The Republican-controlled House and Senate Budget committees are expected to include USDA programs among their targets for budget cuts, says the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.