Senate ag leaders say more farm bill funding is needed
The 2023 farm bill is expected to be the most expensive ever but Congress will need additional funding to strengthen the farm and food safety nets, said the leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee. In a letter, Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and Republican John Boozman said additional funding would allow a transition away from the repeated bailouts that have cost more than $90 billion since 2018.
Crop insurance part of the safety net
The farm safety net is often described as a cushion for producers against hard times because crop subsidy payments are counter-cyclical — they become larger as commodity prices decline. The federally subsidized crop insurance program is the largest part of the safety net but net indemnities are not counter-cyclical, said four agricultural economists on Monday.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Exports keep up pace: Five months into fiscal year 2023, U.S. farm exports reached $84.3 billion — marginally larger than exports at the same point in fiscal 2022, when sales were the largest ever; USDA forecasts a 6 percent decline this year. (USDA)
Strike at doomed plant: Workers went on strike at the Tyson Foods poultry processing plant in Van Buren, Arkansas, asking for severance pay based on tenure at the plant, which is scheduled to close in May. (Meat and Poultry)
Winter wheat slightly worse: Some 27 percent of the winter wheat crop was in good or excellent condition, down 1 point from last week, while the portion that rated poor or very poor rose by 1 point, to 37 percent. (USDA)
Climate change kills cactus: The hotter and drier weather brought to the U.S. Southwest by climate change, along with wildfires fueled by invasive grass, are making life hard for the giant saguaro cactus, which grows up to 40 feet tall. (InsideClimate News)
Organic transition funding: Two USDA agencies earmarked $75 million in conservation assistance for producers who are transitioning to organic production. (USDA)
