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Shining Light on Farm & Food Policy for 20 Years.
Sunday, December 29, 2024
House Ag Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., confirmed to Agri-Pulse Wednesday there will be different increases in statutory reference prices depending on the commodity.
There is big news today on the farm bill front. The House and Senate Agriculture committees are making dueling moves today in the partisan standoff over a new bill.
House Agriculture Committee Democrats have offered a counter proposal on the farm bill that suggests using USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation funding authority to shore up commodity programs and crop insurance, according to a summary of the proposal obtained by Agri-Pulse.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow is circulating some ideas for farm program reforms that include an increase in effective reference prices that would benefit all commodities, plus an unspecified improvement in marketing loans.
Lawmakers are looking at boosting subsidies for supplemental, area-based crop insurance policies to induce growers to buy higher levels of coverage, which could potentially reduce the demand from farm groups for ad hoc disaster assistance.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow expects to have $4 billion to $5 billion in new funding available to address issues with commodity programs and expand crop insurance options, she said in an exclusive interview with Agri-Pulse.
Congress is almost certain to move an extension of the 2018 farm bill in the next month or two, and it could shake up cost estimates for modifications to commodity programs and other provisions.
Democrats on the House and Senate Agriculture committees see the farm safety net as broader thanthan the major commodity programs and want to make sure that the next farm bill addresses needs of smaller-scale producers, committee aides say.
