Protecting current Farm Bill program spending, prioritizing risk-management tools like federal crop insurance, and ensuring adequate USDA staffing and resources are a few of the issues American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) highlights for the 2023 Farm Bill.
AFBF announced the organization’s priorities on Thursday, as Congress begins work to update farm programs provisions, which are typically renewed every five years.
According to AFBF President Zippy Duvall, it’s “the most significant piece of legislation that affects farmers and ranchers across the country.”
“Since enactment of the 2018 farm bill, farmers have faced significant challenges from market volatility, increased input costs and devastating natural disasters,” Duvall said in a statement.
“Despite these headwinds, farmers and ranchers have met the needs of consumers both here and abroad while continuing to improve our environmental stewardship. We look forward to working with Congress to ensure the appropriate resources are available to craft farm policy that reduces food insecurity, bolsters national security and encourages long-term stability for all of our farm and ranch families.”
AFBF’s priorities include more than 60 recommendations — everything from price increases for commodities, more transparency for milk checks, additional funding for conservation programs, and a robust crop insurance program. The AFBF board of directors voted unanimously to approve the recommendations.
Final approval of policy priorities will be accomplished by a vote of delegates at the AFBF Convention in Puerto Rico in January 2023. Read all the priorities here.
“For over a year, MFB’s Farm Bill task force has been meeting to gather feedback from members, hear from experts and develop policy recommendations that best position our organization for the 2023 Farm Bill debate,” said John Kran, national legislative counsel for Michigan Farm Bureau.
“MFB has also been an active participant in the AFBF Farm Bill working group. The priorities released today dovetail with the work we’ve been doing here in Michigan and will give us a jump start on critical conversations with our elected officials as we work to shape the congressional debate over the next year.”
Kran said the farm bill is a crucial part of the safety net for farmers and consumers to ensure a safe and affordable food supply. He said MFB has gathered feedback from members to gauge what priorities are most important.
“The product released here today is a reflection of that, and we’ll also take additional priorities that come through policy development and our state annual meeting to our national convention in January,” he said.
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Dennis Rudat
