Meat+Poultry - July 2018 - 14

WA S H I N G T O N

Farm bill moves on
By a vote of 20-1, the Senate Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
on June 13 approved the bipartisan
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018,
a bill that would reauthorize farm and
nutrition programs for the next five
years, or through fiscal 2023. Senate
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of
Kentucky indicated the Senate may
consider and vote on the farm bill
before the July 4 recess.
The Senate farm bill has broad
support on both sides of the aisle.
This bipartisan support reflected
agreement on general farm policy as
well as on maintaining the integrity
of the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program without imposing
the significantly more stringent work
and training requirements on SNAP
recipients that ensured the House bill
received not a single Democratic vote
either in the agriculture committee or
on the House floor.
The Senate bill would reauthorize
all 12 titles of the 2014 farm bill with
some modest adjustments. The Senate
bill would reauthorize the Price Loss
Coverage and Agriculture Risk Coverage
programs as the principal farm support
programs. The bill would lower the
adjusted gross income eligibility cap
for producers to receive benefits under
federal farm and conservation programs

to $700,000 from the current $900,000.
Additionally, the bill would extend the
crop insurance title of the current farm
bill with only minor revisions, according
to an initial review of the bill by the
Dept. of Agricultural and Consumer
Economics of the Univ. of Illinois.
The bill would raise the
Conservation Reserve Program cap to
25 million acres from the current 24
million acres but reduce rental rates for
the land withdrawn from production
and enrolled in the program.
With regard to the nutrition title
contained in the draft of the Senate
farm bill, the Univ. of Illinois' initial
analysis of the draft bill said, "SNAP and
other food assistance programs in the
title are extended largely unchanged.
In general, existing SNAP work
requirements are slightly modified, with
some additional funding for education
and training. The controversial changes
proposed by the House Ag Committee
to work and eligibility requirements,
as well as other benefit calculations,
are not included in the Senate draft.
There also does not appear to be any
controversial revisions that would
reduce benefits to participating
households or reduce participation."
Farm commodity organizations
applauded the passage of the Senate
farm bill in committee as an important
step forward in the effort to ensure
a new farm law takes effect on the
expiration of the 2014 farm act on

Sept. 30. They were supportive of the
bill's reauthorization of the Market
Access Program and the Foreign
Market Development Program and the
increased funding directed at those
trade development initiatives.
Allison Rivera, executive director
of Government Affairs for the National
Cattlemen's Beef Association, called
the vote a positive step for the farm bill.
"This brings us closer to providing
producers with the certainty they need
to focus on their operations and feed
the world," Rivera said. "While areas
of improvement remain, the Senate bill
does include some important provisions
that address the priorities of America's
cattlemen and women. We look forward
to working with Congress during the
next stages of the legislative process,
and ultimately passing a new Farm Bill
before the Sept. 30, 2018, deadline."
Mark Knott, Feeding America
president, said, "With regard to
SNAP, the Senate measure is a stark
improvement over the House farm bill,
which would dramatically limit the
availability of the program and reduce
the benefits provided. The Senate bill
recognizes the SNAP program is already
designed to encourage individuals to
find work, and work more hours, and
takes steps to address barriers to work
that many face by strengthening and
increasing partnerships in employment
and training."
JAY S J E RV E N | m e a t p o u l t r y @s o s l a n d.c o m

The Senate farm bill has broad
support on both sides of the aisle.
Gary Blakeley/Shutterstock.com

14

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