farm subsidies
Lawmakers press USDA for tighter rules on farm subsidies
Six lawmakers wrote USDA in support of strong rules on who qualifies for farm subsidies on the grounds of being "actively engaged" in farming.
Pare crop insurance subsidies, encourage diversity-Report
Congress should phase out premium subsidies on crop insurance policies sold to the wealthiest U.S. farmers and offer policies that reward growers who hedge their risks by planting a variety of crops instead of specializing in one or two crops, said...
Incoming House Ag chair calls for vigorous USDA oversight
Texas Republican Mike Conaway, the incoming chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said he expects "vigorous oversight" of federal programs from crop insurance and food stamps to farm subsidies and the futures markets in the new session of Congress. Conaway redrew the jurisdiction of the Agriculture subcommittees and said, "All six subcommittees will be expected to carry out vigorous oversight of their mission areas." At present, there are five subcommittees.
Five top themes of 2014 and for the new year
The year-end holidays are a traditional time for summing up and for trying to forecast the future. Here is the Ag Insider list of five salient issues in food and agriculture policy likely to lead the headlines in the new year, as they did in the year now waning. The issues...
Crop insurance “is oversubsidized,” should be pared-analysts
The 2014 farm law expanded the role of crop insurance in the farm safety net; making it the centerpiece of the farm program, according to some descriptions.
The tussle over agricultural analysis money
Politico writes about the internecine scuffles among the nation's land grant universities and their think tanks for federal money to carry out analytical work.
Farm-subsidy decision tool is available to growers
A software program to help farmers decide which farm subsidy program is best for them is available for free, said Kansas State and Oklahoma State universities. In an announcement, the universities said they plan a webinar to provide an update of farm program details and to discuss how to use the decision tool. They said "this computer aid will allow farmers to evaluate the program and to start thinking about the option that best fits their farm."
U.S. farm law stints on research, public goods-Critique
The money earmarked for farm subsidies by the 2014 farm law represent a "lost opportunity to use the funds for programs that unequivocally have the potential to increase social welfare," writes Bruce Babcock of Iowa State University in Choices, the journal of agricultural economics. "Examples include agricultural research, agricultural pollution prevention, invasive species control, transportation infrastructure investments, increased food quality and food safety inspections, and nutrition programs."
USDA says STAX will be offered for 2015 cotton crop
The new subsidy STAX will be available to upland cotton growers beginning with the 2015 crop, said USDA's Risk Management Agency in a bulletin to insurers and its field offices.
Farm groups prod Congress for economic relief
With two weeks left in the congressional schedule for this year, time is running out for lawmakers to provide financial relief to agriculture, said two farm groups. "It is imperative that they address the well-defined and fully substantiated needs of farmers just trying to hold on for another season," said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.