Farm News, Monday June 20, 2016

Direct Payments Expected to Rise in 2016

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says direct payments made to farmers are expected to increase roughly 31 percent this year to $13.9 billion. Direct farm program payments are those paid directly by the U.S. Government to farmers and include fixed payments, crop price and revenue-based payments, and other payments such as conservation payments and disaster relief. The forecast reflects changes made in the 2014 Farm Bill that eliminated several programs and added new support programs, the Price Loss Coverage program, or PLC and the Agricultural Risk Coverage program, known as ARC. PLC and ARC together are expected to account for over $9 billion in 2016, about 96 percent of all crop price, and revenue-based payments. The majority of ARC payments were paid to farms with a history of corn production, followed by wheat and soybeans. PLC payments were primarily made to farms with a history of long-grain rice, peanuts, and canola production.

Spending Bill Bars EPA Funding for Campaigns against Agriculture

A rider on the Senate Interior Appropriations bill seeks to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from funding campaigns against agriculture. The rider, one of many on the bill, followed the EPA billboard funding controversy in Washington State. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman, Republican Pat Roberts, applauded the Senate Appropriations Committee for advancing the bill last week. However, Democrats on the Appropriations Committee warned the bill would be a non-starter on the Senate floor. At issue was an advocacy campaign, funded in part by a $20.5 million EPA grant. The campaign included billboards and a website attacking agriculture and urging Washington State lawmakers to increase regulation over the agricultural industry. Other riders on the spending bill include a block on the EPA’s ‘Waters of the U.S.’ rule.

Source:  NAFB News