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Take a look at what is in the first version of the Senate bill.

June 13, 2018

2 Min Read

The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a meeting on the farm bill today (June 13). Here’s a look at what’s in the bill.

Title I – Commodities

  • Producers are required to make a new election to obtain Price Loss Coverage or Agriculture Risk Coverage County on a covered-commodity-by-covered-commodity basis, or Agriculture Risk Coverage Individual for the 2019 for 2023 crop years. If all producers on a farm fail to make a unanimous election, payments are prohibited for the 2019 crop year and Agriculture Risk Coverage County is selected for 2020 through 2023 crop years.

  • Transition assistance for producers of upland cotton is repealed.

  • Current law is extended for annual sugar estimates and flexible marketing allotments.

  • The Margin Protection Program for dairy is replaced with Dairy Risk Coverage. There are coverage discounts for dairy operations with a production history that is not greater than 2 million pounds and between 2 million and 10 million pounds.

  • Unweaned livestock that have not been vaccinated are allowed coverage under the Livestock Indemnity Program.

Title II – Conservation

  • The Conservation Reserve Program is extended through FY2023. The enrollment cap is raised to 25 million acres and enrollment requirements are modified.

  • The Farmable Wetland Program is extended through 2023.

  • The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program applies to 15% of continuous acres. Existing CREP agreements are not impacted, but can be modified.

  • The Conservation Stewardship Program is authorized through 2023. The acreage enrollment limit is 8.797 million acres through Sept. 30, 2027.

  • The Environmental Quality Incentives Program is extended through FY2023. At least 50% of the funds are to be used for practices related to livestock production, including grazing.

  • A soil health demonstration pilot project is authorized, with $15 million annually to carry out the pilot.

  • The Conservation Security Program is repealed.

Title III – Trade

  • Funding for food aid quality activities under the Food for Peace Act is authorized.

  • The Market Access Program, the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program, the E. (Kika) De La Garza Agricultural Fellowship Program and Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops are consolidated to create a new Priority Trade Promotion, Development and Assistance program.

  • The McGovern-Dole program is reauthorized.

Title IV- Nutrition

  • Consolidates the work requirements for the supplemental nutrition assistance program. 

Title V- Credit

  • State agricultural mediation programs are reauthorized through 2023.

Title VI- Rural Development

  • Rural Business Development Grants are authorized at $65 million per year from 2019 through 2023.

Title VII – Research

  • The National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board is reauthorized.

  • A next generation agriculture technology challenge competition is established.

  • The Rangeland Research Program is repealed.

Title IX – Energy

  • The Rural Energy for America Program is authorized for $50 million per year 2019-2023. 

Title X – Horticulture

  • The Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives are reauthorized through FY2023.

  • Specialty Crop Block Grants are reauthorized through FY2023. 

Source: Senate Agriculture Committee

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