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Farmers Union VP says House Ag Committee farm bill needs more than a SNAP fix

The Vice President of the National Farmers Union says the SNAP program reforms are not the only problems in the House Ag Committee’s version of the farm bill.  Patty Edelburg tells Brownfield mandatory funding for many programs would be changed to discretionary funding, “so every year, they’re going to have to go back and ask for more money.  If there’s no money around, they’re not going to be able to utilize the programs.”

And that, she says, is more uncertainty farmers relying on these programs don’t need.

Edelburg tells Brownfield they are watching the Senate Ag Committee, which so far, is more in line with what Farmers Union would like in the final farm bill.  “It sounds like they’re opposed to some of the mandate changes on the Beginning Farmer programs, the direct farmer programs.  It sounds like they’re on board with the MPP (Margin Protection Program) changes and on board with some of the PLC (Price Loss Coverage) changes that we’re looking for to raise reference prices.  It also sounds like they are willing to put a little more funding into the farm bill compared to what the House is deciding not to do.”

Edelburg says Title I programs like the Dairy Margin Protection Program, the Price Loss Coverage or PLC program, the Conservation Reserve Program, and the Conservation Stewardship Program will be funded, but other important programs are at risk.  “The ones that will be hit hardest will be a lot of the value-added producer grants, the farmer’s market local food promotion program, organic certification cost-share programs, things like that.  Those are the ones that are going to be hit hardest when it comes to the mandatory versus the discretionary funding.”

As Wisconsin’s former FSA Director, Edelburg says farmers need to know the programs will be funded.