News Update
June 2, 2014
Washington Cattleman
Tells Congress EPA’s Land Grab
will Kill Conservation Participation
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers’ proposed definition of “Waters of the U.S.” has raised grave concern from cattle producers across the country. May 29, Jack Field, cattle rancher and Washington Cattlemen’s Association executive vice president, testified before the House of Representatives Small Business Committee to discuss the overregulation and impeding impacts of the rule for rural America.
“First and foremost, the cattle industry prides itself on being good stewards of our country’s natural resources,” said Field, who owns and operates a cattle operation in Washington. “We maintain open spaces, healthy rangelands, preserve wildlife habitat and provide the country with the juicy ribeyes we all love to throw on the grill. However, to provide all these important functions, cattlemen must be able to operate without excessive federal burdens.”
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) believes the proposed definition of “waters of the United States” expands the federal jurisdiction to include essentially all waters across the country, subjecting landowners to increased regulation and fines of up to $37,500 per day.
The increase in liability will chill landowner participation in conservation activities by making the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) a regulatory compliance agency. Field testified that the EPA and the Corps’ interpretive rule would make NRCS standards mandatory for all conservation activities, despite whether they are voluntary or cost-shared.
“This didn’t have to be the result,” said Field. “All the agencies had to do was engage stakeholders early on in the process, incorporate our suggestions and we would be much farther along in crafting a rule that actually clarifies the scope of Clean Water Act jurisdiction. There was zero outreach to the agriculture community before the rule was proposed and before the interpretive rule went into effect. We are now left with a proposal that doesn’t work for small businesses, doesn’t work for cattle ranchers and doesn’t work for the environment.”
NCBA strongly opposes EPA and the Corps’ definition and encourages producers and small business owners to submit comments to the EPA. The comment deadline is July 21, 2014.
USDA Awarding $6 Million to Prepare Farmers for New Farm Bill Programs
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced May 29 that the USDA is awarding $6 million to universities and cooperative state extension services to develop online decision tools and other materials and train experts to educate producers about several key farm bill programs. The new web tools will help farmers and ranchers determine what participation in programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill will mean for their businesses.
The University of Illinois (lead for the National Coalition for Producer Education [NCPE]), along with the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri and the Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC) at Texas A&M (co-leads for the National Association of Agricultural and Food Policy [NAAFP]), will receive a total of $3 million to develop the new online tools and train state-based extension agents who can, in turn, help educate farmers.
“Helping farmers and ranchers understand new Farm Bill programs and what the programs mean for their families is one of USDA’s top priorities,” said Vilsack. “With the resources we’re providing, university experts will help ensure farmers and ranchers are highly educated as they make critical decisions about new programs that impact their livelihoods. The new tools that will be developed will empower farmers and ranchers to select the plan that best fits their unique needs.”
The new resources will help farmers and ranchers make an educated choice between the new Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program and the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program. Using the new online tools, producers will be able to use data unique to their specific farming operations combined with factors like the geographical diversity of crops, soils, weather and climates across the country to test a variety of financial scenarios before officially signing up for the new program options later this year. Once a producer enrolls in the ARC or PLC program, he or she must remain in the program through the 2018 crop year.
While universities work to create new online tools, producers now have access to a preliminary website that gives them a chance to begin familiarizing themselves with the new programs and the type of information they will need to consider when deciding which program options work better for them. At this site, farmers and ranchers can view ARC and PLC projected payments, ARC guarantees and PLC payment rate projections. These tables are available on the FSA website.
For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.
For more information please view the full release here.
Updated Forecast for U.S. Agricultural Exports
The USDA released its Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade report May 29. USDA projects that fiscal year 2014 agricultural exports will reach $149.5 billion, an estimated $6.9 billion higher than previous estimates and, if realized, a new record for American agricultural exports. The report indicates that the record growth is due not just to rising prices, which have driven export numbers in the past, but also to an increase in the volume of U.S. agricultural exports, which is projected to increase by 31% between fiscal years 2013 and 2014.
Last fiscal year, agricultural exports reached $140.9 billion and supported nearly one million jobs here at home. Fiscal years 2009 to 2013 represent the strongest five years in history for agricultural trade, with U.S. agricultural product exports totaling $619 billion during those five years.
“American farmers and ranchers are on track for another year of record exports, which builds on the past five years of the strongest agricultural trade in our history. This report indicates that the volume of U.S. agricultural exports has increased, which demonstrates an increasing global appetite for high-quality, American-grown products,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“USDA will continue to focus its efforts on tapping into new markets for what is grown and made in rural America. Today, only 1% of U.S. companies export, and yet 95% of the world’s consumers live outside the borders of the United States, creating significant opportunities for U.S. food and agriculture. Thanks to resources in the 2014 Farm Bill, USDA is able to continue support for trade promotion and market expansion for U.S. agricultural products overseas — programs that return $35 in economic benefits for every dollar invested. In addition, the administration’s Made in Rural America initiative, launched by President Obama at the 2014 Farm Bill signing, will further these efforts by helping rural businesses and leaders access federal resources to help them connect with new customers and markets abroad.
“Collectively, these efforts will ensure that America’s farmers and ranchers are well positioned to capitalize on emerging export markets and continue to drive economic growth in rural America.”
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