Obama Calls for Farm Bill Passage
As part of his weekly radio and Internet address, President Obama on Saturday called for Congress to pass the Farm Bill. He said the ongoing drought has heightened the need for the new farm bill, which includes provisions that would assist farmers and ranchers in light of the disaster. Obama also highlighted actions already taken by his administration to open more land for emergency haying and...
Read MorePrepare for Crop Insurance Audits
This year’s drought will have another impact for farmers, beyond wiped out yields and hits to their income. With potential six-figure crop insurance claims expected, crop insurance companies and agents are advising farmers to get ready for crop insurance audits, reports Progressive Farmer. Crop insurance program rules set automatic audits when claims reach $200,000 per entity per crop...
Read MoreUSDA Designates More Natural Disaster Areas
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Thursday designated 76 additional counties in six states as primary natural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by drought and excessive heat. During the 2012 crop year, USDA has designated 1,369 counties across 31 states as disaster areas—1,234 due to drought—making all qualified farm operators in the areas eligible for low-interest emergency...
Read MoreDrought Measure Passes House
Before heading home for the month of August, the House put off voting directly on the farm bill and instead approved funding for drought relief programs. But with Congress heading out of Washington, it’s highly unlikely that drought assistance could become reality before September at the earliest. In an American Farm Bureau Federation video clip, Mary Kay Thatcher, farm policy specialist, said...
Read MoreHouse Republicans Drop Farm Bill Extension Legislation
Republican leaders in the House have removed a one-year extension of farm policy from today’s agenda of the Rules Committee, following an outpouring of opposition from Farm Bureau and other farm groups as well as Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). The farm bill extension that is no longer in play included disaster...
Read MoreAFBF Opposes Farm Bill Extension
The American Farm Bureau Federation on Monday said it would stand in opposition to a House measure to extend the 2012 farm bill for a year. The extension includes disaster assistance, particularly for livestock producers, who are not eligible for crop insurance. Many in Washington believe the bill was designed to give lawmakers from drought-affected states political cover as they leave...
Read MoreLegislative Tracking 2013
