Missouri farm groups are reacting to the Senate Agriculture Committee’s newly released Farm Bill draft, with some saying the proposal still falls short despite changes from the House version.
Joe Maxwell, president of Farm Action Fund, said his organization sees the Senate proposal as more of the same. He pointed to repeated federal bailout packages for farmers that he said have not solved the industry’s underlying problems.
“This system is failing. Agriculture system is failing,” Maxwell contended. “Sixty-three farmers a day are going out of business, and families can't afford the food at the grocery stores. And this bill does nothing to change the structure of that.”
Maxwell noted the Senate draft also gets some things right, including moving the process forward and preserving some state-level agricultural protections. Lawmakers are expected to consider amendments after the Fourth of July recess.
One of the biggest differences between the House and Senate proposals involves the controversial “Save Our Bacon Act” proposal. It would have overridden state agricultural laws, including California’s Proposition 12, which sets minimum housing standards for pork, eggs and veal sold in the state.
Maxwell credited Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., chair of the committee, for keeping the provision out of the Senate draft.
“That’s a rare opportunity for market access for about 27% of America’s hog farmers,” Maxwell explained.
Maxwell added producers who have invested to meet the standards can continue selling into premium markets. Any Senate-approved Farm Bill would still have to be reconciled with the House version before it could be sent to the president.
