By Ryan Hanrahan
Agri-Pulse’s Kim Chipman, Noah Wicks, Oliver Ward, Lydia Johnson, and Steve Davies reported that “the House Agriculture Committee unveiled a draft farm bill Friday that would revamp a key international food aid program, boost risk management options for specialty crop growers and nullify California’s controversial Proposition 12 standards for animal welfare.”
“The Republican-led panel aims to take up the legislation Feb. 23 and advance it out of committee by Feb. 25,” Chipman, Wicks, Ward, Johnson and Davies reported. “The measure, which House Ag Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson has referred to as ‘farm bill 2.0,’ tackles provisions not passed and signed into law last year as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was passed under budget reconciliation rules that limit what kind of provisions can be included.”
“‘This bill provides modern policies for modern challenges and is shaped by years of listening to the needs of farmers, ranchers, and rural Americans,’ Thompson said in a statement,” according to Agri-Pulse’s reporting. “‘The farm bill affects our entire country, regardless of whether you live on a farm, and I look forward to seeing my colleagues in Congress work together to get this critical legislation across the finish line.'”
Progressive Farmer’s Chris Clayton and Jerry Hagstrom reported that “among provisions released by the House Agriculture Committee GOP staff, the bill expands disaster programs such as the Tree Assistance program involving orchards and includes plant pests under the definition of ‘natural disaster.’ The bill also creates a framework for USDA to provide disaster aid to specialty crops that will be consistent across administrations. The bill also would create standing authority to provide ad-hoc disaster aid through block grants to states.”
“Addressing problems from last fall’s government shutdown, the bill includes a provision that would ensure farmers are able to access Marketing Assistance Loans (MALs) even if there is a lapse in funding,” Clayton and Hagstrom reported. “…In the credit title, the bill would increase loan limits for guaranteed operating loans to $3 million and guaranteed ownership loans to $3.5 million. Direct ownership loans would be increased to $850,000, while direct operating loans would be increased to $750,000. The bill also includes provisions meant to speed up approval times, especially for certified and preferred guaranteed lenders.”
Source : illinois.edu