Statement of Secretary Perdue
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue hailed the passage of the 2019 Farm Bill. The House of Representatives approved the conference report on the bill this afternoon, following the Senate’s passage.
Perdue issued the following statement:
“The passage of the 2019 Farm Bill is good news because it provides a strong safety net for farmers and ranchers, who need the dependability and certainty this legislation affords. This Farm Bill will help producers make decisions about the future, while also investing in important agricultural research and supporting trade programs to bolster exports. While I feel there were missed opportunities in forest management and in improving work requirements for certain SNAP recipients, this bill does include several helpful provisions and we will continue to build upon these through our authorities. I commend Congress for bringing the Farm Bill across the finish line and am encouraging President Trump to sign it.”
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
NCBA Hails Congressional Approval of 2018 Farm Bill
Bill Provides Much-Needed Certainty, Group Says
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Kevin Kester today issued the following statement regarding U.S. House and Senate passage of the 2018 Farm Bill conference report:
“America’s cattlemen and women want common sense and certainty from Congress this holiday season and throughout the year – today they received that through the passage of the Farm Bill. Certainty that a Foot-and-Mouth Disease vaccine bank will be authorized and funded. Certainty that important conservation programs will be reauthorized and funded. And certainty that trade promotion and access to foreign markets will remain a priority in the years to come.
“On behalf of all of our producers, I want to sincerely thank every Member of Congress who supported the Farm Bill – especially U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, and Ranking Member Collin Peterson, who all worked together across party lines for the past two-plus years. It wasn’t always easy, but we truly appreciate all your hard work.”
National Milk Producers Federation
NMPF Thanks Congress for Sending Pro-Dairy Farm Bill to White House, Urges President to Sign
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for completing congressional approval of a new farm bill and sending to the White House a law that will provide important economic assistance to dairy producers in times of need. NMPF urged President Donald Trump to immediately sign the bill.
“The farm bill passed by the full Congress represents a truly bipartisan spirit and offers genuine hope for agriculture,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “The dairy provisions adopted by Congress will bring critically important assistance to the nation’s dairy farmers. The sooner the president signs the bill, the sooner that the Agriculture Department can implement these important policy improvements.”
The farm bill’s adoption by the House follows yesterday’s Senate vote of approval and reflects months of work in both chambers.
Among House members, Reps. K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) and Collin Peterson (D-MN), the chairman and ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, worked tirelessly to reach a final agreement. In addition, NMPF thanked several members of the conference committee who advocated strongly for dairy, including Vice Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA) and Reps. Jim Costa (D-CA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Ann Kuster (D-NH), Sean Duffy (R-WI), Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ), Bob Gibbs (R-OH), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Jodey Arrington (R-TX), and Tim Walz (D-MN). NMPF also appreciates the advocacy of Reps. David Valadao (R-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Joe Courtney (D-CT), John Faso (R-NY), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Mike Simpson (R-ID), and Mike Bost (R-IL) on specific provisions included in the bill.
The farm bill features several important policy reforms for dairy, including:
- Affordable higher coverage levels in the Dairy Margin Coverage program (DMC) (renamed from the Margin Protection Program) will permit all dairy producers to insure margins above $8.00 on their Tier I (first five million pounds) production history.
- The bill will reduce the cost of $5.00 margin coverage by roughly 88 percent. This aids larger producers and is critically important in times of catastrophically low milk prices.
- Greater flexibility to allow producers of all sizes to access Tier I premium rates.
- Expanded access to additional risk management tools, allowing producers to participate in both the DMC and the Livestock Gross Margin insurance program.
- An option that will allow producers to receive a 25-percent discount on their premiums if they lock in their coverage level for the entirety of the bill.
Collaborative work across the dairy sector was instrumental in securing this year’s pro-dairy bill, Mulhern said. NMPF and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) forged an unprecedented industry consensus during discussions of the bill dating to last year. The final bill includes an agreement reached between the two organizations on risk management that will help producers, cooperatives and processors to better hedge price risk.
“IDFA worked closely with colleagues at NMPF to unite behind shared solutions for dairy,” said Michael Dykes, DVM, president and CEO of IDFA. “Members of Congress have called our collaborative efforts historic, refreshing and, best of all, exceedingly helpful to their farm bill efforts. The dairy provisions included in the bill represent the positive outcomes we can gain through sustained industry collaboration.”
“Dairy works best when it works together,” Mulhern said. “Congress noticed. Hard work and cooperation among NMPF, IDFA, member co-ops, state associations and the entire dairy community helped craft a bill that will benefit us all.”
For more details on the new law’s benefits to dairy, see this letter sent to Congress by NMPF urging the farm bill’s adoption.
American Farm Bureau Federation
Farm Bill Passage Brings Farmers, Ranchers Added Certainty
The following may be attributed to American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall: “Today’s passage of the 2018 farm bill by the House of Representatives, and the Senate’s approval yesterday, is welcome news to America’s farmers and ranchers and the consumers who depend on them for our food, fiber and energy crops.
“Passage means we are one signature away from renewal of risk management tools, foreign market development and environmental stewardship programs that farmers and ranchers need to survive a prolonged and painful downturn in farm income and be sustainable.
“Americans from all walks of life will benefit from this farm bill, including consumers, low-income families, seniors and military veterans
“We eagerly await the president’s signature on this legislation and we know that Agriculture Secretary Perdue will implement it as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
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