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Farm bill challenges ahead

An ag policy expert says passing a new farm bill could be just as challenging for lawmakers as passing a government spending bill.

Bart Fischer with Texas A&M University tells Brownfield politics are getting in the way and “it’s a good indication of the challenges we’ll be up against with respect to the farm bill. There’s not one on the horizon at this point.”

Fischer says there hasn’t been much publicly shared on the new farm bill yet as lawmakers are still working through the details and funding remains a challenge.

“On one side: could there be new money from outside? On the other side: can you find savings elsewhere? It’s probably a combination of both and until they figure it out, lawmakers will probably continue kicking the can.”

The 2018 Farm Bill expired over the weekend, but Fischer says he’s not anticipating an extension of the current legislation until the end of the calendar year. He explains what that means for the current farm bill programs.

“Trade programs like MAP and FMD are a perfect example where when the authority expires, their funding stays in tact, but there’s no funding for new activities. The latest development on Commodity Credit Corporation funds could shift that dynamic, too. Then, you look at things like title one programs, which run with the crop year which takes us to the end of the calendar year.”

Brownfield interviewed Fischer at the Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City, Missouri.