Ag groups appeal to budget committees for farm bill funding

By: Philip Brasher, Agri-Pulse

March 14, 2023 - Some 400 farm groups are appealing to the House and Senate Budget committees to provide “sufficient budgetary resources” to write a new farm bill.

“Just as there are many pressures on the federal budget, there are many pressures on U.S. farmers and others throughout the agricultural supply chain who provide food, feed, fuel, fiber, and other products to consumers across the United States and abroad,” the organizations say in a letter Tuesday to the chairmen and ranking members of the budget panels.

Congress is not expected to agree on a budget resolution this year, but the House at least could vote on a version. Republicans, who narrowly control the House 222-213, are trying to agree among themselves on a blueprint for slashing spending on many domestic programs.

The farm groups’ letter says rising tensions with China “underscore the need in the next farm bill for a more meaningful, predictable farm safety net and the need to invest more into trade promotion programs to help diversify agricultural markets.”

The letter goes on to say that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “COVID-19 and other supply chain disruptions, nontariff trade barriers erected by multiple countries, and devastating natural disasters have tested the effectiveness of current farm policy. Increased production input costs have as well, with USDA projecting that most expense categories will remain above their 2021