Ag Headlines, Friday October 30, 2015

House, Senate, Both Commit to Crop Insurance fix Later this Year

Agriculture leaders in both the House and Senate have announced an agreement to fix crop insurance cuts in the Bipartisan Budget Act later this year as part of the 2016 Spending Bill. Senator Ag Committee Chair Pat Roberts spoke of the agreement on the Senate floor Thursday, saying farmer’s number one concern during the 2014 Farm Bill process was crop insurance. The Ag leaders vowed support to the budget agreement with a plan in place for crop insurance, however, Senator Roberts told Roll Call off the Senate floor that he doesn’t know if he is ready to support the bill or not. The budget agreement includes $3 billion in cuts over 10 years to crop insurance. Committee Ranking Democrat Debbie Stabenow said in a statement she would support the Bipartisan Budget Act while noting she opposes any efforts to cut or reopen farm bill programs. An agreement on crop insurance was announced by House Ag leadership Wednesday. However, new House Speaker Paul Ryan in the past has criticized farm subsidies. Ryan was elected speaker Thursday morning. In 2012, he called for savings of $30 billion in farm programs.

Further, the Hagstrom Report said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack declined to say that the Obama administration will totally back efforts in Congress to avoid any cuts to crop insurance. Vilsack said “we will obviously continue to work with the budget process to ensure that whatever reductions are required are thoughtful and well thought out,” continuing that  “there are ways in which the crop insurance program can be reformed and improved while also saving money.”

Ernst Gains Enough Support to Tackle WOTUS Rule

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst announced Thursday she believes there is now enough support in the U.S. Senate to consider her bill that would scrap the “Waters of the U.S.” rule. Senator Ernst has secured enough support to ensure the Senate can consider the bill without a filibuster, according to a press release. It’s expected the efforts to stop the expanded definition of WOTUS will be taken up in the next week or two. Last month, Senator Ernst led a group of 49 fellow Senators in introducing an effort to eliminate the WOTUS rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers which expands the scope of federal authority over land and waterways. However, if the bill were to pass, it faces a near certain veto by the President, and the ability to override the veto would be questionable, at best.

New USDA Commitments to Help Build Up Next Generation of Farmers and Ranchers

USDA announced Thursday a commitment to prioritize $5.6 billion over the next two years within USDA programs and services that serve new and beginning farmers and ranchers. Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden also announced a new, tailored web tool designed to connect burgeoning farm entrepreneurs with programs and resources available to help them get started. The new web tool was designed based on feedback from new and beginning farmers and ranchers around the country, who cited unfamiliarity with programs and resources as a challenge to starting and expanding their operations. The site features advice and guidance on everything a new farm business owner needs to know, from writing a business plan, to obtaining a loan to grow their business, to filing taxes as a new small business owner, according to USDA. Deputy Secretary Harden made the announcements at the National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. The web tool can be found at USDA dot gov slash new farmers (www.usda.gov/newfarmers).

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