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Returning from Recess, Congress Faces Tight Farm Bill Deadline Time is running out for Congress to finish a new Farm Bill, as legislators returning from a two-week recess will attempt to iron out the differences in the bills passed by the House of Representatives last July and the Senate last December. Extended twice, the 2002 Farm Bill is set to expire April 18, and unless a new Farm Bill is passed and sent to President Bush by that date, the existing law most likely will be extended for a year or more.Funding issues appear to present the biggest obstacle. Farm groups are lobbying to protect or increase existing farm programs, while other groups seek more funding for conservation, nutrition and specialty crops. The political dynamics of this Farm Bill debate not only make it difficult to pass a conference bill, they also block potential progress for significant reforms of existing programs. These dynamics are explored in recent news articles featured in The Economist and The Wall Street Journal. (To read these stories, click on links.) "As far as dairy programs are concerned, there is very little reform and will likely be some increases in existing farm support," said Ruth Saunders, IDFA senior director of policy and legislative affairs. Farm groups have requested additional funding for the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program, Saunders said. She also noted that the Senate bill raises the MILC payment cap to 4.14 million pounds of milk, up from the current payment quantity of 2.4 million pounds. Payments would still be triggered when the Boston Class I milk prices fall below $16.94 per hundredweight. Dairy farmers also would benefit from additional resources slated for conservation programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which provides financial assistance for nutrient management systems and other off-farm practices. IDFA will continue to provide information and support to Farm Bill conferees as they wind their way through the final weeks of the current extension.
Posted March 31, 2008
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