Democrats on the House Ag Committee are expected to meet today to discuss their response to GOP plans for moving a farm bill next month.
House Ag Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson is expressing optimism that he can get bipartisan support for the legislation, and some Democrats tell Agri-Pulse they’re willing to discuss a compromise. But Thompson is still pursuing funding ideas that give many Democrats heartburn.
“We’ve got to come to the middle. There’s got to be concessions made so that Democrats and Republicans can all come together and vote for a farm bill that actually works for the people,” Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., said Wednesday.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., said she’s “encouraged that the chairman wants to move forward with [a farm bill], ideally in May.”
Meanwhile: Thompson confirmed to Agri-Pulse Wednesday he’s looking at funding modifications to commodity programs and crop insurance from USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation funding authority. He’s also looking at some changes to Inflation Reduction Act conservation funding as well as restrictions on USDA’s future updates of the Thrifty Food Plan.
TFP is a model used to determine how changes in eating patterns and dietary guidelines should affect SNAP benefits.
Notably, Democrats on the House Ag Committee used a post on X to pillory a set of GOP talking points about the Thrifty Food Plan proposal. The Democratic post gave the plan a grade of “F.”
Take note: Senate Ag Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., has flatly ruled out restricting TFP updates and removing climate guardrails on IRA conservation funding. She’s also cool to restricting CCC to free up money for farm bill funding.
She told Agri-Pulse that while she hadn’t seen Thompson’s latest CCC plan, she thinks “anything that limits CCC is very shortsighted for farmers because that’s where they fund commodity emergencies and trade and so on. So, I don’t know how limiting those dollars ends up in being a plus for farmers.”
Survey: U.S. farmers becoming more sustainable, but lack financial support
A new survey of almost 500 U.S. farmers found that they are aware of and moving to adopt sustainable practices, but the high costs of some practices are still a barrier.
The research by consulting firm McKinsey & Company found that perceived return on investment is a key factor in what sustainable practices farmers adopt. Changes in behavioral practices, like reduced or no-till farming, have the highest adoption rate because farmers believe they will have a positive return on investment, or ROI. Practices that require equipment changes like controlled irrigation have the lowest adoption.
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The primary barrier to adoption for farms of all sizes is compensation, according to the survey. Getting a higher price for sustainably grown crops and implementing the practices are other top concerns.
The takeaway: From the survey, McKinsey suggested investing in education programs, creating long-term revenue streams for farmers like green premiums and making sustainability programs more accessible.
CVM director outlines long-term priorities
FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine is looking to modernize its legal authority and spur innovation over the next several years, according to CVM Director Tracey Forfa.
Speaking on a webinar Wednesday, Forfa noted there’s a bill with bipartisan support that would allow products that meet the legal definition of animal drugs to be regulated as food additives.
“We want to be flexible,” Forfa said. “We want to support and spur innovation, those are some of my major messages out there.”
CVM will also commission a Reagan-Udall Foundation study on the state of the animal industry. Forfa hopes the study will identify areas that need more attention.
U.S. industry pushes for end to Brazilian ethanol tariff
Three major U.S. industry groups are calling on Brazil to eliminate its tariff on imported ethanol.
In comments to the Brazilian Chamber of Foreign Trade, Growth Energy, the U.S. Grains Council and the Renewable Fuels Association say they will continue to “advocate for restrictive measures to entry for Brazilian ethanol into the U.S., in the case that the Brazilian government does not rethink the current tariff policies.
“Despite the promising opportunities emerging new ethanol export markets could bring to both countries, we stress that we are not willing to cooperate with Brazil in any possible partnerships, nor with technology transferring or within new uses for ethanol such as SAF, in case the market is not completely open for free trade for ethanol,” the groups write.
Tester questions Forest Service about $5M bill for electric co-op
Montana Sen. Jon Tester is raising questions about the Forest Service’s decision to assess a $5 million bill to a rural electric cooperative in his state for fire suppression costs related to a 2021 blaze.
The Forest Service first sought payment a year ago. An updated notice and revised bill was sent March 8, and Tester sent a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack March 18 seeking a resolution. The Forest Service says the fire was ignited by the co-op’s transmission lines.
Tester told Forest Service Chief Randy Moore at a hearing Wednesday that the Vigilante Electric Cooperative’s annual operating budget is $15 million. “The jury is still out on whether the cooperative was negligent at all,” Tester said, expressing surprise that there’s no way for Vigilante to appeal the bill. Moore said the Forest Service treated Vigilante the same way it has treated other utilities in similar situations.
A USDA spokesperson told Agri-Pulse that “managing vegetation in utility corridors is critical to enhance the safety of communities, as well as protect property and infrastructure from the threat of wildfire.” On the subject of Vigilante, the spokesperson said, “By statute, the Forest Service does not have authority to waive or compromise the debt - only the Department of Justice has authority to approve final settlements in excess of $100,000.”
She said it. “For the first time in 50 years, we actually made a change in policy that gives an update to SNAP every five years, and there will not be Democratic votes to go backwards on that.” – Senate Ag Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., reiterating her opposition to restrictions on Thrifty Food Plan updates.
Noah Wicks, Rebekah Alvey and Steve Davies contributed to this report.
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