The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) applauded final Congressional action on the Farm Bill as the Senate passed the Agricultural Act of 2014. NASDA Members, who are the chief agricultural officials in their states, are meeting in Washington, D.C. this week for their annual Winter Policy Conference and have urged enactment of a long-term farm bill as one of their top policy priorities.
Chuck Ross, NASDA President and Vermont Secretary of Agriculture, expressed his gratitude for Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle working together to move the bill across the finish line.
"We are grateful for the bipartisan support the Farm Bill received. It is an example of what we can do when we come together to address the issues facing our agricultural producers,” said Ross. “We are confident that President Obama will act quickly to sign this bill into law so that farmers and ranchers have the tools and certainty they need to continue their important contributions to our economy. NASDA Members look forward to working with our federal partners as the bill is implemented.”
The Agricultural Act of 2014 addresses many of NASDA’s top priorities. The Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) Program, a state driven program that delivers critical and flexible support to enhance the specialty crop industry, will see its annual funding increase more than 50 percent over the course of the five-year bill. The bill will also set aside funding specifically for multi-state specialty crop projects to enhance specialty crop industries across state lines.
Plant pest and disease management programs, which are vitally important because of our globally interconnected agricultural trade system, are given an increased emphasis and funding under the legislation. The legislation makes reforms that will streamline and consolidate conservation programs, while enhancing the flexibility of those programs to address important environmental improvements. The legislation also makes important reforms to the dairy safety net, maintains critical funding for the Market Access Program (MAP), and provides robust funding for critical research on our food and fiber system.
NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association which represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries, and directors of the departments of agriculture in all fifty states and four U.S. territories. To learn more about NASDA, please visit www.nasda.org.
Source: National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA)
