There’s never a shortage of agriculture news. Here are a few policy stories you may have missed over the past week.

USDA to provide $3 billion in additional disaster relief

USDA announced Friday it will provide more than $3 billion in disaster relief for commodity and specialty crop producers affected by natural disasters in 2022. Producers may apply for relief through the Emergency Relief Program 2022.

Farm Services Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux says that, for many producers, 2022 was at least the third consecutive year they faced weather-related challenges. In response, USDA is refining its 2022 Emergency Relief Program process. Instead of two program phases, the agency will now conduct both parts concurrently. 

Agency officials believe this will increase efficiency in both the application and payment processes. In response to feedback from producers and stakeholders, USDA also revised program rules to ensure shallow loss impacts on revenue are taken into consideration.

Dems push back against proposed spending cuts

Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee say they won’t support cutting Inflation Reduction Act funds from the new farm bill.  Last week, they penned a letter to Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson, R- Pa., and Ranking Member David Scott, D- GA., urging them to resist “clawing back” those funds as many in the GOP have suggested.

The Inflation Reduction Act authorized $20 billion for conservation funding. House Ag Committee Democrats say those programs will benefit all farmers wile also helping to improve water quality, soil health and habitat preservation. They note demand for the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives programs created by the IRA already exceeds available funding. They also say that more than 1,700 farm groups agriculture advocates support the climate-smart programs.

“The Inflation Reduction Act was intended to go towards climate smart conservation, and it would ultimately be a disservice to American farmers should these funds go elsewhere,” the House Dems say at the end of their letter. “We implore you to keep the funds for their intended purpose and provide the resources farmers need.”

With Congressional control split between Seante Democrats and House Republicans, it seems almost certain that some spending cuts will be required to get GOP support.  Where those cuts come from remains to be seen.

Senate rejects Republican effort to strike anti-discrimination nutrition rule

On Friday the Senate rejected a joint resolution submitted by Sen. Roger Marshall, R- Kan., and cosponsored by 19 Republicans, to remove protections for certain LGBTQI+ groups receiving federal nutrition assistance. President Biden had threatened to veto the resolution.

In 2021, USDA updated its rules to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.  Rogers calls the rules a “weaponization” of school lunch programs. Others see it as necessary protection against vulnerable students.

In an Oct. 26 statement of administration policy, the White House Office of Management and Budget said the proposal would have meant needy people, including children, going hungry.

“No person in need of help should be turned away from a food bank or denied nutrition assistance just because of who they are or who they love,” the statement said.

The Senate voted 50-47 largely along party lines to reject the amendment

USMEF honors Branstad and Westman

The U.S. Meat Exporter Federation named Terry Branstad its Michael J. Mansfield Award. The former Iowa governor and U.S. ambassador to China is being recognized for his work to advance U.S. agricultural exports. During his time as ambassador, China and the U.S. entered into an agreement allowing American beef exports in China for the first time in 17 years.

“When given a level playing field, U.S. farmers and ranchers will thrive in the international marketplace,” Branstad said. “This is why it is so important to eliminate trade barriers and give our agricultural producers a fair opportunity to compete. I am proud to have played some role in improving global market access for American products and it has been gratifying to see U.S. agriculture capitalize on these opportunities.”

Bill Westman will receive USMEF’s distinguished service award. During his nearly three-decade career he has worked at the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and served as senior vice president of international affairs for the North American Meat Institute. He is now president of William Westman and Associates LLC, a firm specializing in agricultural trade policy, export market development, and strategic planning.

Branstad and Westman will both be recognized on Nov. 9 during a USMEF conference in New Orleans.

USDA expands online local dashboard to 40 more states

USDA announced Oct. 30 it has expanded its farmers.gov local dashboard to 40 additional states.  The online site is intended to serve as a single portal for state and county specific agricultural data and USDA resources. It includes things like commodity pricing, weather forecasts, historical climate data and past storm events.

In January, USDA unveiled its first local dashboard for Iowa. The agency now has local dashboards up and running for Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Dashboards for other states will be available soon according to a USDA release.