The Ranking Member of the Senate Ag Committee says a farm bill extension could carry current negotiations into May.
Arkansas Republican John Boozman said recently that, “A farm bill will not get passed in the next two weeks. And one of the primary reasons for that is the fact that the appropriations process keeping the government open so we don’t have a shutdown really is kind of taking all the wind out of the sails”.
Boozman says funding for the USDA is available through the end of the year and farm bills are usually passed about nine months after they expire.
“This is pretty customary procedure, but if we go forward in the next few months and see that we’re going to need an extension, then we’ll pass a continuing resolution for the farm bill,” he says.
Boozman and Chair of the Senate Ag Committee Debbie Stabenow recently asked Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack to also access Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds for trade promotion and in-kind international food assistance. Boozman stated that the CCC money would be in addition to appropriations and farm bill program resources.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
“Never on time” should be the new moniker for Congress, especially when it pertains to farm bill legislation. They just can’t seem to ever stick with a calendar schedule. Oh well. At least they will address the matter with extensions of the current farm bill and continuing resolutions for the funding. The good news is, that outside of crop insurance and a few other critical sections of the farm bill, farmers/ranchers rely much more on the marketplace than Congress for their income these days. While that may not have always been the case, it is today’s reality. So, while Congress plods along to pass the next version of ag legislation, farmers/ranchers will survive just fine. Be sure to let them know about your current inventory on AgTruckTrader.com. Encourage them to either sign up online for their AgPack ID or invite them into your dealership so you can assist them with the process. Either way, once they have that AgPack ID and are ready to lease or purchase their next new or qualified used truck, you can conquest the deal with that additional (up to) $32,000 in potential exclusive rebates and discounts now available. Remember, that is on top of any other offers from you or the OEM!
