Farm Bill Kicked To Lame Duck Session The Farm Bill is one of many issues facing Congress when after the election. Some estimate the “lame duck” session could run five weeks; some predict it will be called off. There are several issues like expiring tax cuts, the sequestration mandated cuts and, of course, the Farm Bill. The sequestration measure alone ... Read More »
Senate Ag Committee Issues Farm Bill The U.S. Senate Ag Committee voted to approve the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012, a bipartisan Farm Bill authored by Committee Chairwoman, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, R-Minn., and Ranking Member, Sen. Pat Roberts, D-Kan. “The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 will save taxpayers billions of dollars while promising a ... Read More »
Producers Unveil Program Needs Jimbo Grissom, president, Western Peanut Growers Association, addressed the Senate Ag Committee in Washington, D.C., recently unveiling proposals from the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, who represents growers in Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, and the United Peanut Alliance, representing producers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Grissom said producers are looking ... Read More »
Super Committee To Impact Farm Bill The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction or Super Committee has convened with the goal of cutting $1.5 trillion from the U.S. national budget over the next decade. Congress must adopt their recommendations by the end of the year or government spending will automatically be cut by $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years, ... Read More »
Planted Acreage Still A Question State peanut directors continue to debate USDA’s planted acreage estimates. Don Koehler, Georgia Peanut Commission executive director, says that unless contracts get close to $700 per ton, acreage in Georgia could be as low as 450,000 acres, which is more than 100,000 fewer acres than 2010. The commission estimates only 30 percent of the acres ... Read More »
Stabenow Talks Farm Bill Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mi) recently told reporters, “We’re going to start right now and move through the process, and we’ll make decisions as we go along. “In terms of an exact timetable, I think it’s in the interest of agriculture, given the backdrop that we’re in right now around budgets and deficits, to move in a ... Read More »
Rep. Frank Lucas (R) of Oklahoma is a farmer and knows about peanut production in his state. Lucas recently said that the House of Representatives Ag Committee will be a challenge to lead. “There are 26 republicans and 20 democrats. Sixteen republican members are freshman, and seven democrats have never served on the committee.” Lucas said, “We are in a ... Read More »
Ag Committee Members Announced House Agriculture Committee Chairman-elect Frank Lucas, Okla., announced the new Republican members of the committee. The members are as follows: Bob Gibbs, OH; Martha Roby, AL; Scott Tipton, CA; Rick Crawford, AR; Chris Gibson, NY; Bobby Schilling, IL; Scott DesJarlais, TN; Vicky Hartzler, MO; Austin Scott, GA; Renee Elmers, NC; Tim Huelskamp, KS; Steve Southerland, FL; ... Read More »
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