Writing a farm bill is an extremely challenging activity given budget constraints, the economic importance to the U.S. agricultural sector and the American public, varying stakeholder interests and the importance to global economic and trade relationships.

In an April 12 webinar, Dr. Pat Westhoff, director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri–Columbia and a professor in the MU Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, discussed the economic, trade and biofuels considerations, crop and livestock market outlook, and other issues that congressional leadership and members are considering as they pen the next farm bill.

He provided perspective into the monumental task of writing and passing the next farm bill, market outlook and ongoing trade issues and considerations.

The webinar is online and can be viewed at:

00:01 minutes - Intro Slides and Credits

00:19 minutes – Webinar Introduction with Bobby Coats, professor-economics, University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Cooperative Extension Service

Westhoff video Index:

01:28 minutes – The Next Farm Bill, Market Outlook and Ongoing Trade Issues Introduction

02:15 minutes – Introduction: A flood of news items

03:31 minutes – Market situation as context

Recent USDA reports

05:06 minutes – FAPRI and CBO projections

15:45 minutes – Farm bill issues

Outlook under an extension of current programs

Challenges in writing the next bill

37:14 minutes – Trade issues

The dispute with China: where are we, what does it mean?

NAFTA renegotiation and other issues

Bobby Coats is a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service. E-mail: [email protected].