The U.S. House of Representatives has approved the latest federal Farm Bill.
The bill passed the House Dec. 12, a day after the Senate passed the version negotiators agreed on a week earlier.
U.S. ag secretary Sonny Perdue said the passage of the bill provides a strong safety net for farmers and ranchers, who he said need the dependability and certainty the legislation affords. He said the Farm Bill will help producers make decisions about the future, while also investing in important agricultural research and supporting trade programs to bolster exports.
Some key dairy issues in the bill include coverage leverage in the renamed Margin Protection Program, more flexibility to allow access to Tier 1 premium rates, expanded access to risk-management tools, continued assistance to farmers for land and water conservation programs, full funding for trade promotion programs, and nutrition provisions meant to enhance fluid milk consumption.
The bill is being lauded by leaders across the U.S.agriculture sector – Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation president Jim Holte of Elk Mound among them. Holte said, “The farm bill brings much-needed assurance that programs will be in place to help Wisconsin farmers survive these difficult times.”
Wisconsin Farmers Union president Darin Von Ruden said his organization is happy to see support for programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program, and that replacement of the dairy Margin Protection Program could help smaller-scale producers. However, Von Ruden said he was disappointed that a proposal to limit Title I payments to people actually farming was left out of the bill. He added that the bill won’t be a silver bullet to solve what he sees as a farm crisis, and that ag community and political leaders have important work to do in helping farmers dig out from under a depressed farm economy.
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-WI, was among House members voting against the bill. Pam Janke of Mid-West Family Broadcasting asked Rep. Kind for his views about the legislation:
The Farm Bill still needs to be signed by President Trump.
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