A package of legislation is moving through the U.S. House of Representatives that seeks to improve forest management and reduce the threat of wildfire on federal lands.
Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash
Much more acreage is set to expire Sept. 30 from the federal Conservation Reserve Program than was awarded during the recent general signup period, according to the Farm Service Agency.
Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash
USDA officials expect temporary incentives to help move a glut of domestic sugar will save taxpayers $282 million in prevented government farm loan forfeitures.
The Capital Press ebook "Viticulture" is free today at http://bitly.com/11jtw6y
U.S. farm groups are alarmed by the president's proposal to eliminate the country's international food aid program, which purchases U.S. commodities and ships them abroad, and switch to a new cash-based system that can buy food overseas closer to where it's needed.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., told Capital Press on April 26 that he is planning a farm bill that will cut $38 billion in spending over 10 years, with $20 billion coming from the food stamps account and $18 billion from the rest of the bill.
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The Agriculture Department will cut the direct payments for all crop farmers by 8.5 percent this year, a representative for the USDA's Farm Service Agency has confirmed to Capital Press.
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Idaho farmers became much less reliant on government payments last year and earned a larger share of their income from the marketplace.
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American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman opened the organization's annual meeting Sunday by calling on Congress to "enact the kind of (farm bill) reforms that the Senate and House Agriculture Committee have approved."
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Commodity groups say they are disappointed with an extension of the 2008 Farm Bill passed by Congress. The stopgap measure prevents a major hike in crop price support levels — including one that could have sent milk prices spiraling — but will retain subsidies that seemed destined for change last year.
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Dairy industry representatives are unsure how long the USDA can forestall implementing antiquated dairy policies set to go into effect Jan. 1. The USDA is beginning the rules and regulations process for setting minimum milk support prices required under the 1949 legislation.
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U.S. farm policy could revert to decades-old legislation next month if the current farm bill is not extended or replaced, but experts say the complexity and expense of this outcome make its implementation unlikely.
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In this podcast, editors and reporters discuss a video that is dividing producers amid a push for federal egg legislation, sudden spikes in the price of fertilizers, a legal quirk regarding wetlands and farm subsidies, and a sneak peak at the latest USDA price projections.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has unveiled a new program to offer financial incentives for farmers to enroll up to 1 million new acres of grasslands and wetlands into the conservation reserve program.
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The total amount of federal government payments to Idaho farmers and ranchers continued its 11-year slide in 2011, showing the state's agricultural economy would be less susceptible than many other states to possible cuts in the new farm bill.
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The American Farm Bureau Federation voted Jan. 11 to support federal farm policy that includes strong safety net components, but no direct subsidy payments. In amending the organization’s long-time policy backing the $5 billion subsidy program, the Farm Bureau’s voting delegates adopted a resolution that reflects declining support for direct payments in the Obama administration and in Congress as the House and Senate ag committees begin deliberations on the 2012 Farm Bill.
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American Farm Bureau Federation convention delegates will consider endorsing the elimination of direct government commodity payments in favor of an expanded risk management program at their convention in Hawaii this weekend.
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The Capital Press devotes much of this week's front page to spending by the Humane Society of the United States. Other highlights from the paper include the ongoing Klamath Basin saga, producers and processors worried about legislative threats to the federal sugar program, and the development of new export markets for Idaho's wheat crop.
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The Capital Press has a special report on agricultural subsidies this week, including how subsidies affect California rice farmers, Northwest wheat growers, and the economy at large. There's also a history of how current policies developed.
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As lawmakers in Washington, D.C., spar over federal spending and taxes, attention has focused on farm subsidies — including the various federal support programs for corn-based ethanol.
Reporter Tim Hearden and copy editor Will Koenig discuss how different groups see ethanol subsidies and how federal supports affect livestock producers.
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What do you want lawmakers to do on ethanol policy?
