Now that the House has passed its nutrition bill, farm and commodity groups are again turning up the pressure to get a new farm bill passed.
The American Soybean Association (ASA), the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the National Farmers Union (NFU) are among the groups calling on House leadership to appoint conferees right away so the stalled farm bill can be finalized and enacted as soon as possible.
"This process has gone on for more than three years now, and we still have no long-term legislation in place," said ASA president Danny Murphy. "That is entirely too long."
NFU president Roger Johnson expressed concern that the nutrition bill passed by the House, which calls for 39-billion dollars in food stamp cuts and contains several new qualification provisions, will make the farm bill conference process more difficult. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack agreed, saying it "does nothing to promote a bipartisan, comprehensive Farm Bill and stands no chance of becoming law".
Vilsack also called on House leaders to appoint conferees as soon as possible.
Source: brownfieldagnews.com