On April 14, more than two months after enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the Farm Bill), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its revised estimates of the spending baseline for farm policy. During the long debate on the Farm Bill, proponents touted savings that the Farm Bill was expected to produce —…
Nine in 10 Americans who will be celebrating Easter this year say they plan to stock up on candy, according to a National Retail Federation survey released April 9. All told, these celebrants will spend a combined $2.2 billion of Easter candy—an average of nearly $22 each—the survey found. Those sales represent an incredible…
The 2014 Farm Bill represents a big transition for a major sector of the economy. Since 1996—for the past 18 years—farmers of major field crops from across the nation have received direct payments from Uncle Sam to help abate the risks associated with production agriculture. With the enactment of the Farm Bill—the Agricultural Act of 2014—those…
When the 2014 Farm Bill was passed, Farm Policy Facts applauded lawmakers for preserving this cornerstone of the farm safety net—crop insurance. The prioritization of crop insurance in the 2014 Farm Bill stands as a clear recognition that these tailored policies are playing the most integral role in farmers’ risk management portfolio, even as…
The United States was not the only nation re-examining its farm laws right recently; although, the United States appears to be the only country making reforms and reducing overall farm policy spending. In fact, major crop producers from Brazil to India and China have been in the news recently expanding levels of subsidization. Such…
Just days after the 2014 Farm Bill was signed into law, crop insurers gathered for their annual meeting to assess where the industry had come and where it is going. One of the key architects of the Farm Bill, Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, told the crowd that they began writing the Farm Bill three…
Everybody knows at least one person like that. The person who on a picture perfect summer day, with good health and beautiful scenery to match, with not a want in the world, will still find something to complain about. You know, a walking, talking, real-life version of Waylon Jennings’ Rainy Day Woman. …
After four years of work and tireless efforts by the Agriculture Committees of both chambers, a new Farm Bill finally passed the House this week and is scheduled to be voted on by the Senate next week. If past is prologue, this immense package of policy—affecting not just the farms that nourish our nation but…
WASHINGTON—The agriculture community applauded the filing of the Farm Bill conference report on Monday, and is urging quick passage of the legislation to provide stability and support for our nation’s farmers and ranchers. Here are excerpts from statements released by key groups: The American Farm Bureau Federation: “We appreciate the hard work…
China is more than just the 800-pound gorilla in the world cotton market. The Asian giant is both the world’s biggest producer and importer. As such, China has tremendous market manipulating power that leaves other producers, including those in America, at its mercy. China provides unstinting support to its cotton farmers with the end result…
As the worst drought in three decades unfolded last year, opponents of farm programs almost gleefully predicted that taxpayers would be on the hook for $40 billion in crop insurance claims this past fiscal year. Those “experts” grossly overestimated crop insurance costs by about $26 billion. And while crop insurance indemnities in fiscal year 2013…
If you’re in need of some lining for your puppy crate, reach no further than this week’s Associated Press article about the so-called secret environmental cost of ethanol. The real secret here? How something as one-sided as this got published in the first place. Even USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has stated that the AP project…