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No farm bill in September

At North Carolina Peanut Growers Association meeting, Don Davis discussed peanut farmers speaking up about needs ahead of policy changes.

John Hart, Associate Editor

September 13, 2023

2 Min Read
 U.S. Rep, Don Davis
U.S. Rep, Don Davis, a Democrat who represents North Carolina’s first congressional district, addresses the annual membership meeting of the North Carolina Peanut Growers Association Sept. 7 at the Peanut Belt Research Station in Lewiston-Woodville. He says internal conversations he has had indicate a markup for the farm bill by December.John Hart

Congressman Don Davis confirmed what is pretty much accepted as a given: there won’t be a new farm bill by Sept. 30 when provisions of the current farm bill expire. 

Speaking at the annual membership meeting of the North Carolina Peanut Growers Association Sept. 7, following the 71st annual peanut field day at the Peanut Belt Research Station in Lewiston-Woodville, the first-term Democrat, who represents North Carolina’s 1st congressional district, said House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glen “G.T.” Thompson, a Republican from Pennsylvania, has said the bill could make it through markup in the House Agriculture Committee by the end of September.  

But Davis said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) has “come out and point blank said that September is unrealistic.” 

Davis serves on both the House Agriculture Committee and the House Armed Services Committee. His first congressional district is in northeastern North Carolina and comprises 19 of the top agricultural counties in the state, stretching from the border of Virginia, extending southward into several counties of the Inner Banks and the Research Triangle. Davis was elected to his first term in 2022. 

“Right now, in some of the internal conversations that I’ve had, is that they will try to get the markup by December,” Davis told the peanut growers. 

Related:Thompson: Extend current farm bill

“Different parts of the farm bill expire at different times. It’s not like everything is expiring all at once. Different components expire at different times. Some components technically do not expire. They’re permanent provisions,” Davis explained. 

Davis urged the peanut farmers to make their voices heard and weigh on the farm bill because “this process is still ongoing, and it is indeed a process.” He urged them to contact his office with their ideas on the farm bill. 

“We’ve been hammered for so long, we haven’t always gotten our fair share. Here is my commitment: to listen and to be your voice, to share what I’m hearing in Washington, D.C. so that we can work every single day to make life better for our families. And we can stick in front of that our farm families because this is a way of life for us,” Davis said. 

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About the Author

John Hart

Associate Editor, Southeast Farm Press

John Hart is associate editor of Southeast Farm Press, responsible for coverage in the Carolinas and Virginia. He is based in Raleigh, N.C.

Prior to joining Southeast Farm Press, John was director of news services for the American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington, D.C. He also has experience as an energy journalist. For nine years, John was the owner, editor and publisher of The Rice World, a monthly publication serving the U.S. rice industry.  John also worked in public relations for the USA Rice Council in Houston, Texas and the Cotton Board in Memphis, Tenn. He also has experience as a farm and general assignments reporter for the Monroe, La. News-Star.

John is a native of Lake Charles, La. and is a  graduate of the LSU School of Journalism in Baton Rouge.  At LSU, he served on the staff of The Daily Reveille.

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