WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) issued a statement following the release of two separate farm bill frameworks by the chairs of the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture Committees. “The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance commends House Agriculture Committee Chairman (Glenn) Thompson and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman (Debbie) Stabenow for their work in moving the 2024 …
Awaiting Approval: Georgia Senator Discusses Foreign Ownership of Land Bill
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s bill to restrict foreign ownership of land is an important piece of legislation impacting food and national security. SB420 seeks to limit property rights for certain foreign ‘agents’ and entities by prohibiting them from purchasing land used for farming or within a 10-mile radius of a military base or installation. It refers to those considered a …
Sen. Ossoff Launches Inquiry Into USDA’s Farm Labor Survey Calculations
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff has launched an inquiry into how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducts its Farm Labor Survey in Georgia. Ossoff inquired with the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), asking for more transparency in the Farm Labor Survey, which the Department of Labor uses to determine wages for H-2A workers in Georgia and …
Sen. Tillis, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Provide Financial Relief for Producers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Thom Tillis and his colleagues recently introduced the Supporting Farm Operations Act of 2024, legislation that would revert the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) to the December 2023 rate through the end of the 2025 growing season. The AEWR in North Carolina rose 6% from $14.91 per hour to $15.81 per hour in January 2024. “With net farm …
Vilsack Statement on Farm Income Forecast
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service released its annual Farm Sector Income Forecast report for 2024 last week. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issued the following statement following the release: “After the three highest consecutive years on record in 2021-2023, the first farm income forecast of 2024 indicates net farm income this year will return to …
Farm Sector Profits Forecast to Fall in 2024
Net farm income is expected to decrease by $39.8 billion in 2024, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service (ERS) report titled: Farm Sector Income & Finances: Highlights from the Farm Income Forecast. Net farm income is projected to be $116.1 billion in calendar year 2024, a 25.5% drop compared to 2023 in nominal (not adjusted for inflation) …
USDA to Issue $306 Million in Final Payments to Farmers Impacted by ’20, ’21 Natural Disasters
WASHINGTON – The U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing final Emergency Relief Program (ERP) payments totaling approximately $306 million to eligible commodity and specialty crop producers who incurred losses due to natural disasters in 2020 and 2021. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) started sending these additional payments to eligible producers last week. “In the natural disaster recovery process, every little …
GFVGA Executive Director Hoping for New Farm Bill by End of First Quarter
By Clint Thompson A new farm bill could be introduced sooner rather than later. At least, that’s the hope shared by Chris Butts, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA). “We are hopeful that you may see some texts in the latter part of the first quarter, February-March. We’re hopeful on that,” Butts said. “If you …
Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson, Legislative Leaders Launch Hurricane Idalia Recovery Programs for Florida Farmers
The Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson and legislative leaders announced the launch of two agricultural disaster recovery programs with more than $112 million in funding to assist Florida farmers in rebuilding and recovering from Hurricane Idalia. Impacted agricultural producers can now apply for the Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program and the Silviculture Recovery Program. In …
The Last Word: Connecting the Realities of American Farming
By Chris Butts “I know of no pursuit in which more zeal and important service can be rendered to any country than by improving its agriculture.” — George Washington, July 1794 Our nation’s founding fathers understood the importance of agriculture to our fledgling republic. The ability to feed ourselves is critical to national security and prevents us from becoming reliant …