National Policy
Page
ABOVEGROUND FUEL STORAGE TANKS N-501 .................................................... 198 AFLATOXIN-VOMITOXIN N-335 ................................................................................ 196 AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS N-336 ........................................................................ 196 ANIMAL CARE N-301 ................................................................................................. 195 BASIS AREAS AND TRANSPORTATION N-220 ....................................................... 193 CLEAN AIR N-502....................................................................................................... 198 CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM N-235 ....................................................... 194 CONSUMER AWARENESS N-147 ............................................................................. 193 COOPERATIVES N-148 ............................................................................................. 193 ELECTIONS N 103 ..................................................................................................... 192 ENERGY N-402 .......................................................................................................... 197 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS N-236 .............................................. 194 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND REGULATIONS N-504 ............................... 198 EQUINE N-307 ............................................................................................................ 196 EXECUTIVE BRANCH N-104 ..................................................................................... 192 FARM LABOR N-135 ................................................................................................. 192 FEDERAL ESTATE AND GIFT TAXES N-435 ............................................................ 197 FERTILIZER N-338 ..................................................................................................... 197 FISCAL POLICY N-417 ............................................................................................... 197 FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT N-545 ........................................................................ 199 FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY N-339 ....................................................................... 197 GRAIN STANDARDS, GRADING INSPECTION AND PRICING N-356 ..................... 197 HEALTH & HEALTH INSURANCE N-153 ................................................................... 193 INTERNATIONAL TRADE N-252 ................................................................................ 195 191
LAND OWNERSHIP N-525 ......................................................................................... 199 LAND USE PLANNING N-526 .................................................................................... 199 LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY HEALTH N-308 ............................................................ 196 LIVESTOCK IDENTIFICATION N-309 ........................................................................ 196 MONOPOLY N-420 ..................................................................................................... 197 NARCOTICS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE N-157 ........................................................ 193 NATIONAL FARM POLICY N-239 .............................................................................. 195 NATIONAL FOREST MANAGEMENT N-512 ............................................................. 198 NATIONAL SECURITY N-179 .................................................................................... 193 POSTAL SERVICE N-159........................................................................................... 193 POULTRY N-314 ........................................................................................................ 196 REGULATORY REVIEW AND REFORM N-110 ......................................................... 192 RENEWABLE FUELS N-404 ...................................................................................... 197 RESEARCH N-461...................................................................................................... 198 RISK MANAGEMENT/CROP INSURANCE N-225 ..................................................... 193 ROLE OF USDA N-462 ............................................................................................... 198 SCHOOL & GOVERNMENT FOOD PURCHASING PROGRAMS N-111 .................. 192 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE N-240 ...................................................................... 195 TAX REFORM N-438 .................................................................................................. 198 THE CONSTITUTION N-102 ...................................................................................... 192 TRANSPORTATION N-128 ........................................................................................ 192 U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS’ AUTHORITY N-546 ....................................... 200 WATER QUALITY N-547 ............................................................................................ 200 WATER USE N 548 .................................................................................................... 200 WILDLIFE PEST AND PREDATOR CONTROL N-317 ............................................... 196 192
The Constitution N-102 Reiterate Current Policy
Elections N 103 Reiterate Current Policy
Executive Branch N-104 Reiterate Current Policy
Regulatory Review and Reform N-110 (3) Regulations should only be made by elected lawmakers. The role of regulatory agencies should be to administer the programs.
School & Government Food Purchasing Programs N-111 Schools and communities have shared responsibility to provide all students with access to high quality, affordable, nutritious food and beverages. We urge county, state, and American Farm Bureau to back the same and or increased funding for the free/reduced meals of the school feeding programs.
Transportation N-128 We oppose the CAFÉ standards for heavy duty trucks. The DOT should operate under the sole authority of the Congress and not implement any programs that are not specifically authorized by Congress.
Farm Labor N-135 We support allowing producers participating in H-2A programs to perform pre-employment drug testing and random drug testing of employees. We support a 45-day probationary period for all local workers. During the probationary period producers would be allowed their full allocation of H-2A works.
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We oppose forcing producers to pay foreign workers a wage greater than minimum wage, the workers wage is their actual pay, separate from housing and transportation costs.
Consumer Awareness N-147 We support any effort to educate the general public about American agricultural production practices.
Cooperatives N-148 Reiterate Current Policy
Health & Health Insurance N-153 Reiterate Current Policy
Narcotics and Substance Abuse N-157 Reiterate Current Policy
Postal Service N-159 Reiterate Current Policy
National Security N-179 Reiterate Current Policy
Basis Areas and Transportation N-220 Reiterate Current Policy
Risk Management/Crop Insurance N-225 We support a national farm policy that maintains a level of support sustainable for irrigated crops that recognizes the stability of yields and added cost of irrigation. We recognize producers of irrigated crops have not traditionally purchased crop insurance to the extent of non-irrigated crops. Premium rating history for irrigated crops is limited, thereby requiring higher premiums. We support: 194
(65) Development of a single crop insurance policy that covers prevented planting and replanting. (66) Equal treatment of rice crop insurance and the reduction of premiums so rice can be treated like crops grown in the Midwest. We oppose: (7)
A purchase requirement of federal crop insurance to participate in
federal farm programs. (8) The use of tax dollars to subsidize crop insurance for covered crops on land placed back into production after coming out of the CRP. We support: (3) Ad hoc disaster assistance for catastrophic natural disasters that: (e) Requires recipients to have crop insurance or NAP coverage, if it is available for their commodity.
Federal crop insurance will not work as a vehicle to assure an adequate safety net for Southern agriculture. We recommend an option of opting out of the federal crop insurance program. The producer would be allowed to self insure and be able to collect the government offset that would have gone to reduce the insurance premium.
Conservation Reserve Program N-235 Contracts for new and re-enrolled acres should reflect the following principles: (8) Transition policy be developed to encourage environmentally sensitive CRP lands to remain in grass or trees.
Environmental Management Systems N-236 We recommend that American Farm Bureau closely monitor the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) project. The data collected by this project is likely to influence future environmental regulations. American Farm
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Bureau should work to ensure data is collected and all analysis is fair to U.S. agriculture.
National Farm Policy N-239 We support an extension of the 2008 Farm Bill. The 2012 Farm Bill should be based on the following: (9) An increase in reference prices that reflect true production costs. General Issues We support: (29) An incentive for producers who choose to use the option market to provide a better safety net. (30)
Alternative programs for each commodity in order that they all
maintain an adequate safety net. (31) Federal disaster programs be streamlined to allow timely access to funds. (32) Increasing the maximum principal amount for the Beginning Farmer Loan Program Guarantee from $250,000 to $500.000.
Sustainable Agriculture N-240 We support attracting members involved in non-traditional agriculture including small farms producing for local markets.
International Trade N-252 We support legislation to limit agriculture imports from countries that unfairly subsidize their agriculture producers.
Animal Care N-301 We oppose legislation designed to require animal agriculture producers and processors to adopt unnecessary and unreasonable production practices.
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Equine N-307 We recommend that USDA inspections be provided for equine processing facilities.
Livestock and Poultry Health N-308 Reiterate Current Policy
Livestock Identification N-309 Reiterate Current Policy
Poultry N-314 We support implementing the following GIPSA rules: (1) Protection for contract growers from required capital investments of more than $12,500 per structure above the original contract requirements. (2)
Extending contract fairness to poultry contract growers who raise
pullets, breeding and laying hens. (3)
A criteria under which the USDA may determine that a poultry
integrator violated the Packers and Stockyard Act by failing to give a poultry grower at least 90 days notice that the poultry integrator was going to suspend delivery of birds to the grower.
Wildlife Pest and Predator Control N-317 We support additional funding for research concerning the control and/or eradication of fire ants and army worms.
Aflatoxin-Vomitoxin N-335 We oppose a mandatory single test procedure at the initial point of sale for aflatoxin.
Agricultural Chemicals N-336 Reiterate Current Policy
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Fertilizer N-338 Environmental regulations and permitting policies should be relaxed to allow fertilizer production to increase.
Food Quality and Safety N-339 We support: (7)
Developing and uniform inspection standard that would prevent
producers from paying for multiple inspections.
Grain Standards, Grading Inspection and Pricing N-356 Reiterate Current Policy
Energy N-402 We urge Congress and the administration to enact policies that will: (10) Provide for construction of the Keystone pipeline. (11) Encourage the United States to become energy independent as soon as possible.
Renewable Fuels N-404 Reiterate Current Policy
Fiscal Policy N-417 Reiterate Current Policy
Monopoly N-420 Reiterate Current Policy
Federal Estate and Gift Taxes N-435 Reiterate Current Policy
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Tax Reform N-438 Any replacement tax system should: (1) Be fair to agricultural producers; 1a)
We support and recommend IRS regulatory reforms that allow
profits to be averaged over the same amount of years as loss is calculated.
Research N-461 Reiterate Current Policy
Role of USDA N-462 NRCS should: (6) Obtain more local input during the appointment of NRCS personnel.
Aboveground Fuel Storage Tanks N-501 We support H.R. 3158, the Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship
Act,
which
will
modify
the
EPA’s
oil
Spill
Control
and
Countermeasure (SPCC) regulation, reducing unnecessary burden on farmers and ranchers.
Clean Air N-502 We oppose: (6) Further restriction and involvement of the EPA on irrigation engines.
Environmental Protection and Regulations N-504 We oppose: (10) The EPA’s authority to set federal nutrient limits on phosphorus and nitrogen in specific states. This authority should be governed by individual states.
National Forest Management N-512 We oppose: (4) The closing of national forests and public roads. 199
We encourage the USFS to contract with local management teams to meet science-based targets to minimize environmental impact while maximizing recreational opportunities. We support: (13)
A fee per ATV for use in national forests to offset the cost of
personnel, fire aid, rescue protection and forest repair. (14) The development of user-friendly education/certification process for all ATV riders on federal lands.
Currently the USFS makes annual payments in lieu of taxes to counties that have federal land within the county lines. With the current federal budget issues, we recommend that PILT funds for federal lands be protected for the continued support of local public schools and other public projects.
Land Ownership N-525 Recent rule changes in wetland determination procedures have shifted substantial burdens to landowners.
In response to a 1026 form requesting a
wetland determination, the Corps of Engineers and NRCS now merely respond that there “may be� wetlands on a particular tract, but are not willing to make a specific wetland determination and delineation of the wetland’s location. Landowners are informed that they must hire a qualified private sector professional to make the actual determination. If the government claims an important public interest in certain lands that supersedes private property rights, it should be required to specifically identify the area that it deems so important to the public interest.
Land Use Planning N-526 We favor government programs aimed at keeping agricultural land in production.
Floodplain Management N-545 Reiterate Current Policy 200
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Authority N-546 Reiterate Current Policy
Water Quality N-547 Any new rules, regulations or enforcement of the CWA as applied to concentrated animal feeding operations must: (3) Not extend point source regulations to nonpoint sources such as farm and ranch fields and pastures ;and confined livestock production facilities;
Water Use N 548 We recommend any acreage, eligible for conservation programs when converted to reservoir for the purpose of irrigation of crop land, continue to be eligible for conservation programs, and any reservoir that combines a water recovery system be considered eligible for a 2-to-1 conservation program credit.
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