Farm Bill, Budget Extension Goes to President's Desk

by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) The farm bill extension tied to short-term federal funding passed the Senate Wednesday night on an 87-11 vote and now goes to President Joe Biden to avoid the risk of another government shutdown.

On the farm bill, the extension, with the backing of the leaders of the House and Senate agriculture committees, extends the 2018 farm bill until Sept. 30, 2024.

The bill, which was passed by the House earlier this week, will fund USDA and the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Energy and Veterans Affairs through Jan. 19, 2024, and the rest of the government through Feb. 2, 2024.

If Congress cannot complete its Fiscal Year 2024 funding bills by the end of April, lawmakers face 1% spending cuts across the board in federal programs.

On the farm bill, Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said early Thursday that extension is appreciated but he called on Congress "to stay focused on a new, modernized farm bill that recognizes the many changes and challenges of the past five years."

Duvall added, "The current farm bill was written before the pandemic, before inflation spiked, and before global unrest sent shock waves through the food system. We need programs that reflect today's realities. So much work has been done by the agriculture committees in both the House and Senate over the past 18 months to prepare to craft a smart and effective farm bill. Congress must keep that momentum going."

Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union, issued a similar statement saying NFU is encouraged by the strong bipartisan support to extend the 2018 farm bill. Now it is time to move ahead.

A few other programs extended include the Biobased Markets Program, the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels and the Feedstock Flexibility Program. READ MORE

Excerpt from Ethanol Producer Magazine: The 2018 Farm Bill expired on Sept. 30, 2023. The extension included in the stopgap funding bill extends the 2018 Farm Bill through Sept. 30, 2024, providing Congress with approximately 10 months to craft and implement a new Farm Bill.

Programs listed under the Energy Title of the 2018 Farm Bill include the Biobased Markets Program; the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical and Biobased Products Manufacturing Assistance Program; the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels; the Biodiesel Fuel Education Program; the Rural Energy for America Program; the Biomass Research and Development Program; the Feedstock Flexibility Program; the Biomass Crop Assistance Program; the Community wood Energy and Wood Innovation Program; and the Carbon Utilization and Biogas Education Program.

The National Corn Growers Association issued a statement following the House and Senate votes, noting that the Farm Bill extension will provide certainty for growers, but stressing the extension is no substitute for a fully reauthorized bill. “Growers are already making decisions for the 2024 crop year based on markets, growing conditions and risk calculations,” said Minnesota farmer and NCGA President Harold Wolle. “This extension provides us with much needed certainty around the commodity title and other important USDA programs. But we continue to advocate for a full reauthorization of the farm bill as soon as possible.”

Similarly, the National Farmers Union said it is encouraged by the Farm Bill extension, but is urging timely passage of a five-year bill. “NFU is encouraged by the strong bipartisan support for an extension of the 2018 Farm Bill,” said Rob Larew, president of the NFU. “Now we urge Congress to channel that success toward getting a new farm bill done in a timely fashion. Family farmers and ranchers must have clarity about the status of farm programs to make informed planting and business decisions heading into the next growing season, and an extension accomplishes that in the short term. We will continue working to craft and pass a five-year farm bill that provides strong support for family farmers, ranchers, and our communities.” READ MORE