Senate panel approves Farm Bill

From ANLA's Craig Regelbrugge: On April 26th, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed a Farm Bill package by a vote of 16-5. Senators Cochran (R-MS), McConnell (R-KY), Chambliss (R-GA), and Boozman (R-AR) voted no due to concerns over certain commodity programs, and Sen. Gillibrand (D-NY) opposed cuts to feeding programs. The bill is now ready for consideration by the full Senate, though timing is not yet certain. The “Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012” would reduce the deficit by at least $23 billion dollars by eliminating direct payments, consolidating 23 conservation programs into one program, and not providing baseline funding for some other programs.

In an era of budget cutting, specialty crop programs important to ANLA members fared well in the committee-passed bill. The bill includes the following key specialty crop provisions:
•Specialty Crop Block Grants, funded at $70 million per year (increase of $142 million over 10 years);
•Specialty Crop Research Initiative, funded at $25 million in FY13; $30 million in FY14-15; $65 million in FY16; $50 million in FY17 (increase of $416 million over 10 years);
•Plant Pest and Disease Program, funded at $60 million in FY13-16 and $65 million in FY17 (increase of $109 million over 10 years). This includes funding for the National Clean Plant Network.

The House Agriculture Committee has announced its schedule for upcoming hearings on the Farm Bill, including a May 8 hearing on Nutrition and Specialty Crop Programs. ANLA has been invited to provide a witness for this hearing.