TSCRA Daily News Update, May 2, 2008

Farm bill saga continues

As the farm bill Conference Committee meets and and finalizes some deals to move the bill forward, other issues remain to be resolved.

Other key developments from the farm bill conference committee include the following:

• Country-of-origin labeling (COOL): The farm bill contains language that makes implementation of COOL more flexible for both cattle producers and the meat industry, providing several improvements over the current law passed in 2002.

• Permanent ag disaster program: Sens. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.) championed inclusion of a $3.8 billion permanent disaster aid program, which would provide assistance to cattle producers that lose livestock or forage as a result of a natural disaster.

• Conservation/environment programs: The bill provides an additional $4 billion for conservation programs, including $1.1 billion for the Conservation Stewardship Program (formerly the Conservation Security Program). The program would be expanded from 16 million to 80 million acres by the year 2012.

The CRP Transition Option program is included at a cost of $50 million over 10 years. This would allow property owners taking land out of CRP to receive additional CRP payments if selling or renting the land to beginning or minority farmers.

Other key funding levels:

-          $1.3 billion for the Wetlands Reserve Program

-          $300 million for the Grasslands Reserve Program

-          $562 million for the Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program

-          $372 million for the Chesapeake Bay Program

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