More than 60 Republican lawmakers have complained to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about the timing of assistance from – and the methodology for – the 2022 Emergency Relief Program.
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, led the letter to Vilsack Monday that called USDA’s recent announcement of more than $3 billion for ERP 2022 “unacceptable” because it came a year after Congress approved the aid.
In addition, they said “the methodology used for the 2022 ERP will negatively impact many farmers’ ability to receive financing from lenders and plan for the next crop year,” the lawmakers said. “Based on your regulation, farmers suffering losses who would have received assistance covering more than 75% of their calculated losses in 2020 or 2021 will now be capped at closer to 10%.”
Farm groups also have called on Vilsack to alter the current formula. USDA had to prorate the payments because the amount of funding fell far short of the estimated uncovered losses.
The ERP “was once workable and effective but has now fallen into total disrepair,” Marshall said. “There is no sound logic to scuttling a good program that received near-universal praise from Congress and farmers for a proposal this bad. I'm glad the department paused the program; however, as long as the ERP remains in this broken condition, there is little reason to support its further extension or to fine-tune this failure.”
Vilsack, Jacobs-Young head for COP28
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and USDA’s undersecretary for research, Chavonda Jacobs-Young, are headed to Dubai later this week for the COP28 climate conference. Their goal will be to show the U.S. is committed to meeting its pledges for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through climate-smart ag practices and forestry.
On Friday, Saturday and again on Sunday, Vilsack will join senior officials from the United Arab Emirates to talk about the multinational AIM for Climate plan for using agricultural technology to reduce global carbon emissions.
Vilsack’s other appearances will include a forum Sunday with U.S. producers and organizations that are taking part in the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities projects.
Crop insurers blast GAO report
The crop insurance industry says the Government Accountability Office has missed the mark with a new report that calls for reducing the rate of return that companies can receive and imposing a means test on premium subsidies.
In a joint statement, the American Association of Crop Insurers, Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau and National Crop Insurance Services say the report “is fraught with recommendations that would dismantle the successful public-private partnership that delivers federal crop insurance to America’s hard-working farmers and ranchers.” The groups say the recommendations would reduce participation to the detriment of the program.
Groups that are pushing Congress to reform crop insurance say the new data in the GAO report shows that cuts are needed more than ever.
Read our report on the GAO analysis.
Research bill gets House OK
The House has passed a bill aimed at fostering collaboration between USDA and the Energy Department on issues such as biofuel development and advanced crop science.
The DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act, which passed on a voice vote Monday, would require DOE and USDA to report within two years on what their collaboration has accomplished and potential opportunities going forward.
The measure will “help us address cross-cutting research challenges that will advance crop science, maximize carbon storage, enhance precision agricultural technologies, and more,” said House Science, Space and Technology Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla.
Over 100 members seek adding hot foods to SNAP eligibility
Since its enactment 60 years ago, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has prohibited the purchase of hot foods. Over 100 Congressional members sent a letter to leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees seeking the inclusion of the bicameral Hot Foods Act of 2023 in the farm bill to allow for hot food purchases in SNAP such as rotisserie chicken.
During natural disasters, USDA grants waivers to allow for the purchase of hot foods. The letter says these waivers “demonstrate that the restriction on hot foods is an unnecessary red tape for business owners, program administrators and American families.”
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., a leading sponsor of the Hot Foods Act and signee of the letter, says, “SNAP recipients deserve to grocery shop for their families without arbitrary restrictions preventing them from purchasing the foods that best meet their lifestyle or dietary needs.”
Agencies propose how to reduce U.S. food loss and waste at COP28
As part of the COP28 climate summit, USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration released a draft strategy on how to reduce food loss and waste with plans to execute the plan in 2024 after 30 days of public comment.
The draft strategy sets four objectives:
- “Preventing the loss of food where possible.
- Preventing the waste of food where possible.
- Increasing the recycling rate for all organic waste.
- Supporting policies that incentivize and encourage food loss and waste prevention and organics recycling.”
USDA actions include investing $30 million in the Composting and Food Waste Reduction Cooperative Agreements as well as expanding partnerships with the NIFA food system programs and funding additional research and development on new packaging technology to extend the shelf-life of food.
To fund the actions outlined in the strategy, EPA will use the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s materials management grants and other resources available. USDA will use American Rescue Plan Act and Inflation Reduction Act funds as well as competitive research, education, and Extension funding to implement actions, as appropriate to their authority.
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