Legislation

On May 10, the House Ag Committee marked up their version of the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (FARRM) Act of 2013. It is nearly identical to the bill marked up last summer....More

Farm Bill markup likely will begin soon in both the Senate and House Agricultural committees. Much of the focus for traditional program crops will be around three programs: a revenue program, a target price program and a supplemental crop insurance program. While the exact nature of the programs will depend on negotiations, what is almost certain is that the programs' rationale will be risk management. Given a risk management focus, farm bill negotiations will need to debate and somehow resolve the following seven questions....More

Secretary of Agriculture spoke to a group of over 1,500 farmers and ranchers at Commodity Classic in Kissimmee, Fla., this morning. He championed America's farmers for their willingness to conserve and be sustainable as well as their efforts to build rural America....More

March 1 is when across-the-board 8.2% budget cuts will occur, termed in Washington as the “sequester.” It is part of a $1.2 trillion budget cut over 10 years, and the USDA share of that is nearly $5 billion/year, with half of that to come out of USDA spending before of the end of the federal fiscal year. So far there is no word from USDA or the White House Office of Management and Budget where the cuts would come, but the most expensive single farm program is crop insurance, which undoubtedly would be pared....More