Posted January 27, 2014
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)
recently voiced its opposition to changes in the payment limitation reforms in
the farm bill, according to an Agri-Pulse article available here.
Ferd Hoefner, NSAC policy director, expressed concern
that the “bipartisan reform provision included in both the House and Senate
farm bills” was under debate. There is
also a concern that “conferees may kill new limits on the number of managers
who can qualify for farm program payments, which are strongly opposed by
southern farmers.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) expressed worry that
conferees would change his language tightening the definition of “actively
engaged” in “an effort to kill it.” The
goal of the new definition is to “keep off-farm managers from qualifying for
federal farm payments” which would save millions, according to the
Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
The Center for Rural Affairs is also voicing is
opposition to changes in the payment limitation provisions, according to a Farm
Futures article available here.
While the farm bill has lingered for two years, a
conference report may be unveiled this week, the Washington Post reports here.
“We remain optimistic that we can reach agreement in
time to be on the floor next week,” House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank
Lucas (R-OK) said in a message sent to his colleagues over the weekend.
For more information on farm bills, please visit the
National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
