American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall commented last week on the passage of a stopgap spending bill by both the House of Representatives and Senate, which includes a one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill. Farm Bureau sent a letter to all members of Congress Tuesday urging passage of the continuing resolution. “We are grateful Congress passed a …
AFBF Congratulates Rep. Johnson on Speaker Election
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall recently commented on the election of Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) to be Speaker of the House. “AFBF congratulates Rep. Mike Johnson on his election to Speaker of the House. Speaker Johnson has a strong history of supporting America’s farmers and ranchers, which has earned him the ‘Friend of Farm Bureau’ award multiple …
AFBF’s Boatright: H-2A Becoming More Difficult to Utilize Over Time
By Clint Thompson The future of the H-2A program rests with legislative reform. Specialty crop interest groups have lobbied for changes to the program for years. The fight continues. Groups like the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) continue to educate legislative leaders about the importance of reform to the sustainability of farming operations across the country. John Walt Boatright, director …
AFBF, Deere Co. Signs Memorandum of Understanding
Southeast specialty crop producers will soon benefit from an agreement signed last weekend to ensure farmers’ rights to repair their own farm equipment. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and Deere & Co. signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the 2023 AFBF Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico. “It is more important now than ever that our farmers have …
AFBF Sends Letter to President Biden About High Diesel Prices
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall sent a letter to President Biden on Friday, calling on the administration to bring more domestic supply online. It would reduce costs to all Americans. “Our nation’s food supply is driven by diesel,” President Duvall said in the letter. “Every input that arrives on our farms and ranches is transported by a …
AFBF Establishes 2023 Farm Bill Priorities
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) released its priorities for the 2023 farm bill. The priorities were identified by a working group of Farm Bureau members and staff from across the country. AFBF’s overarching priorities include: Continuing current farm bill program funding; Maintaining a unified farm bill that includes nutrition programs and farm programs together; Prioritizing risk management tools …
AFBF Applauds Climate-Smart Projects Announced by USDA
By Clint Thompson Count the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) as one organization applauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for investing nearly $3 billion in selected projects under the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. “Secretary (Tom) Vilsack announced $2.8 billion in funding to help develop 70 projects that will advance climate smart agriculture practices,” said AFBF president Zippy Duvall. …
AFBF’s Concern Over Provision in Farm Workforce Modernization Act
By Clint Thompson Time is ticking for the U.S. Senate to approve and pass its version of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bill aimed at improving workforce access for farmers and that has already been passed twice by the House of Representatives. One provision in the legislation to expand the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) to …
AFBF Asks for USDA Help with Fertilizer Supplies
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take steps to ensure America’s farmers continue to have access to fertilizer supplies. AFBF submitted comments on USDA’s “Request for Information on Access to Fertilizer: Competition and Supply Chain Concerns.” AFBF outlined various factors that have combined to create shortages and increase fertilizer costs including …
AFBF Applauds Final Passage of Ocean Shipping Reform Act
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall commented on Monday about the final congressional passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act. “AFBF appreciates lawmakers for working together to pass the Ocean Shipping Reform Act. Record-high shipping costs and delayed access to containers have worsened supply chain issues and limited exports at a time when the world is calling on …