The Congressional Western Caucus released its top priorities for the farm bill reauthorization on Thursday, along with over 10 rural and agriculture groups supporting their priorities.
The farm bill is typically reauthorized every five years and focuses on agriculture commodities, forest health, food aid programs, and conservation. It is a massive spending bill every five years that not only assists farmers and ranchers by modernizing agriculture policy but also assists people on food welfare programs. The 2018 Farm Bill had a price tag of $428 billion.
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The Western Caucus, which has over 100 members and is led by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), released its top four priorities when it comes to this year’s farm bill.
The first is supporting production agriculture. The group wants to see updates to the commodities programs and crop insurance to ensure that farmers and ranchers maintain a “strong safety net support” during tough economic times.
This would apply to major crops such as soybeans, wheat, corn, and others. But it would also apply to specialty crops and non-traditional forms of agriculture such as fruits, vegetables, hemp, and local food promotion.
Another priority for the group is improving voluntary conservation programs. The group wants to ensure the conservation programs aren’t mandatory and farmers and ranchers are given the flexibility to manage their lands how they see fit and tailor them to their needs.
“Those who are closest to the land — whose quality and way of life depend upon healthy ecosystems — care most about the land and know best how to maintain its productivity, legacy, and uses for years to come,” the group said. “We have decades of proof that conservation of working lands has benefited the farmers, ranchers, and rural communities that rely on healthy land and clean water.”
The group also wants to enhance forest health by ensuring that there are resources for increased management and restoration following the record number of forest fires in the past several years since the last farm bill passed in 2018. They want to see this year’s bill increase the “pace and scale of vegetation management work on public lands” to improve forest health and help prevent future wildfires. This year’s farm bill should also streamline and expedite the permitting process for forest management projects “in order to encourage economic generation in rural communities, create resilient forests, and protect wildlife habitat,” the group said.
“American farms, ranches, and forests produce the food, fiber, and fuel that provide for the world,” Newhouse said in a statement. “The Congressional Western Caucus recognizes a healthy farm economy in America is vital for food security, both at home and abroad, and we will work to ensure rural voices are heard through the development of the 2023 Farm Bill.”
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The caucus said there should also be provisions to help rural communities continue to grow and prosper by investing in programs to deal with water shortage infrastructure and emergency grants following natural disasters. The bill should also continue to invest in rural broadband, rural housing, and infrastructure development in rural America.
The priorities have the support of 11 agriculture and rural groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Pork Producers Council, and USA Rice.
