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Work on new farm bill may be delayed

A Washington insider says work on a new farm bill probably won’t begin in earnest until 2012.

Rebecca Blue with USDA’s Office of Congressional Relations tells the Capital Press Online that the next Congress will likely focus on trade and deficit reduction when it convenes in January. 

Blue says that while former House Ag Committee chair Collin Peterson was keen to work on a new farm bill in 2011, the new chairman—Frank Lucas—has indicated he will not begin work on the bill until 2012.  Complicating the situation even more, Blue says, is the fact that seven members of the Senate Ag Committee will be up for re-election in 2012.