Some groups have concerns over land access and funding cuts
As lawmakers in Washington consider the new Farm Bill, ag groups aren’t unanimously aligned with its contents.
Many national organizations support the bill, which passed in the House of Representatives on April 30, and are urging U.S. senators to complete their markup of the bill.
The National Corn Growers Association, for example, welcomes the bill’s planned improvements to ARC and PLC programs, and the commitment to year-round E15 access.
The National Pork Producers Council is pleased with the bill’s planned solution to Prop 12 in California.
And the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance supports the legislation’s language around research and automation, and to support the competitiveness of family farms.
Other groups, however, aren’t as happy with some of the bill’s plans.
The National Young Farmers Coalition, for example, says the bill “fails” tomorrow’s farmers and ranchers.
At a time when young farmers are struggling, the legislation doesn’t go far enough to support the next generation of producers, with the organization calling the proposed measures “breadcrumbs.”
In addition, a coalition of more than 300 groups, including the National Young Farmers Coalition, are asking the senate to reject the bill.
The groups say the new bill is similar to the previous one and doesn’t reflect today’s ag environment.
“H.R. 7567 would only deliver more of the same for the many farmers struggling to make ends meet. We ask that you stand for a farm bill that delivers stability and growth for all farmers by rejecting H.R. 7567 in pursuit of a better alternative,” the groups said in a letter to lawmakers.