NFU Outlines Farm Bill Priorities for Senate
US - Ahead of Tuesday’s scheduled markup, National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry highlighting NFU’s official stance on amendments to the 2013 Farm Bill.
15 May 2013
2 minute read
“NFU is pleased that the process to review the 2013 Farm Bill is advancing,” said Mr Johnson. “We applaud the committee for structuring the commodity title in a way that provides family farmers protection both when disasters strike and in times of long-term price collapse. Currently, reference prices are far too low to provide farmers meaningful protection against price collapse. NFU opposes all amendments designed to undermine the Adverse Market Payments (AMP) programme, which is the program that would provide that protection.”
Three amendments NFU supports are Sen. Roberts’ amendment eliminating duplicative Clean Water Act permitting requirements for farmers using pesticides already registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act; Sen. Leahy’s amendment ensuring producers participating in the Organic Initiative of the Environmental Quality Incentives Programme (EQIP) are subject to the same payment limit as all other EQIP participants; and Sen. Harkin’s amendment to reduce the statutory minimum interest rate for Farm Service Agency direct farm ownership loans in joint financing arrangements
NFU strongly opposes Sen. Johanns’ amendment to eliminate Country-of-Origin Labeling requirements for livestock and poultry. Consumers have the right to know where their food comes from and America’s producers are proud of the quality of the products they grow.
“NFU will continue to work with members of the committee and all members of the Senate to ensure that a comprehensive, five-year farm bill reaches the Senate floor in advance of the September 30 deadline.”
TheCattleSite News Desk
