State and national policies that impact agriculture are top of mind for the American Farm Bureau Federation, and state farm bureau organizations also play a part. The Utah Farm Bureau has released its “Issues to Watch for 2018” list, noting key focus areas during the 2018 Utah general legislative session.

Ron Gibson, president of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation and a Weber County dairy farmer, commented in releasing the issues list that “It is important to note the policies advocated and defended by the Utah Farm Bureau come from the grassroots level, from actual farmers and ranchers on the ground and in the trenches — not simply from ideas of one leader or board.”

He said the policies are developed through debate and deliberation in response to issues felt “on the farms of the smallest towns, as well as the families of the largest cities in Utah. These issues have a direct impact on our ability to produce food in Utah.”

Here’s a rundown of the key priorities.

State concerns
Utah Farm Bureau noted that Congress recently passed tax reforms, and organization leaders are focused on state tax reform, too. Here are some key areas.

Sales tax reform. The organization points to the growth of online sales and the inability of state and federal agencies to collect online sales taxes. The group notes that no taxes are paid on 70% of online consumer goods. Noted the organization: This amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars in sales tax revenues not being collected. In the statement, the group noted that while there is talk of increasing the sales tax percentage, “It makes more sense to keep percentages where they are, and focus efforts on modernizing the tax code and improving collection of existing revenues.”

The group also highlighted that there are more than 190 examples of sales tax exemptions, with 35 being ag-related. This is an area worthy of further study, with the group noting that certain exemptions are appropriate to ensure sustainability of agriculture.

Property tax reform. Utah Farm Bureau noted that the government is the No. 1 landholder in the state, with farmers and ranchers being No. 2. As the statement notes, “When there are discussions related to property tax reform in the state, agriculture needs to have an appropriate seat at the table, as it will feel the impacts greatest.” Of note is a recent Envision Utah report that showed farm and rural residences require only about 37 cents in public services for each dollar paid by landowners in property taxes; urban and residential properties require $1.11 of services for every dollar.

Transportation funding — streambeds. Utah is looking to increase funding to update the state’s transportation infrastructure to accommodate a rapidly growing population, with $17 billion in new funding needed in the next 10 years. The group noted that infrastructure is key to Utah’s farmers and ranchers, too.

Prioritizing the infrastructure funding is also a concern for Utah Farm Bureau. The group noted that most funds spent on transportation go to the Wasatch Front region — the metro area in the north-central part of the state where most of Utah’s population lives — but “as the state looks to modernize its collection of tax revenues to adequately fund transportation projects, the needs of rural communities and its transportation infrastructure can’t be ignored.” Funding by a motor fuel tax or a user fee tax would create a higher impact on rural drivers, the group noted.

Water issues. Utah will have 3 million new residents headed into the state within the next few years, but federal funding of major water projects has essentially dried up. The organization noted that Utah taxpayers must meet growing water infrastructure needs, including big-ticket items like the Lake Powell pipeline, and day-to-day operation of existing programs.

The group noted that residential and industrial users of water, including agriculture, “must improve conservation and efficiency efforts related to water. But we also need to grow the amount of water available.”

National issues
There are national issues that can reach back to affect state farmers and ranchers. Utah Farm Bureau highlighted a few of those in its Issues to Watch for 2018 document.

Regulatory reform. This is a hot item for all of Farm Bureau. And the Utah Farm Bureau noted the group is working “for reform to ensure that federal rules are limited to what is necessary, are supported by science, appropriately balance costs and benefits, are clearly authorized by law, are created in a transparent manner, and allow farmers and ranchers to remain productive.”

Immigration reform. The group noted that farmers and ranchers need a reliable, skilled workforce, and that farm work is challenging, often seasonal and transitory, with it being difficult to find American workers to take the jobs. “Farm labor can’t all be replaced by machines, either,” noted the issues document. The group — along with all of Farm Bureau — is calling on Congress to pass responsible immigration reform to address agriculture’s current experienced workforce, and to create a new flexible guest worker program. The group made a point to note that instability in the ag workforce places the food supply at risk.

2018 Farm Bill. Farm programs are written to provide a basic level of risk protection to help offset bad economic times and severe weather. “No one buys insurance for the good times, and similarly, farm bill programs provide critical tools to help farmers and ranchers manage risk,” the group noted in its issues document.

Trade. The group highlighted the risk of the U.S. pulling out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has produced tens of billions of dollars in U.S. ag exports to NAFTA partners each year. The group noted that exports to Canada and Mexico alone account for 30% of all ag exports. Added the group: “Total withdrawal from NAFTA would make U.S. farmers and ranchers less competitive in our top export markets — and could result in billions of dollars of agricultural products accumulating in inventories.”

Source: Utah Farm Bureau