Posted May 12, 2014
Several farm groups recently asked Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to consider all regional interests in selecting land-grant universities for the development of web-based tools to aid growers in making decisions under the 2014 Farm Bill, according to an article by Farm Progress available here.
“Given the complexity of choices in the commodity and crop insurance titles of the farm bill, these tools will be critical for producers in our organizations to make well-informed decisions,” the groups wrote in a letter to Secretary Vilsack.
The groups highlighted the importance of selecting universities representing different regional views on farm program and suggested selecting an institution for the lead role.
“We urge you to select a lead institution possessing substantial experience with revenue-based risk management tools and representing a broad-based, national consortium of land-grant universities,” said the groups.
The groups said these issues are important because the changes in the commodity and crop insurance programs are complex and will require in-depth analysis and tailoring to specific regional differences.
The groups included the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Corn Growers Association, the National Sunflower Association and the U.S. Canola Association, and the American Soybean Association.
Secretary Vilsack told members on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry that USDA has made new progress on implementing every title of the 2014 farm bill, according to an article by Agri-Pulse available here.
USDA noted that it took over a year to set up disaster assistance programs after the 2008 Farm Bill passed. In contrast, this year, it took under 10 weeks to implement expired disaster assistance programs and modifications approved in the Agricultural Act of 2014.
Senator John Thune (R-SD) expressed concern, asking that a Midwestern university be involved in explaining new commodity and crop insurance programs.
Vilsack assured Thune that the Department is trying to avoid any regional biases in the information going out to farmers.
For more information on farm bills, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
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