Senate-Passed Farm Bill Includes Good News for Pulse Producers

Senate Passed Farm Bill Includes Good News for Pulse Producers

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report.

American Pulse Association CEO Tim McGreevy shares details about the two pulse crop initiatives included in the Senate version of the Farm Bill that was passed last week.

McGreevy: “So the Pulse Health Initiative is in the Senate Farm Bill in the Research tittle for $25 million a year on pulse research. Then on the floor of the senate on Wednesday, Senator Cantwell, and her co-sponsors Senator Hoeven, Senator Murray and Senator Conrad pushed through an amendment that we again have been working on to have a $10 million pilot program to introduce pulse foods in school feeding programs -- both breakfast and lunch. So we are very excited, we’ve been working on this for a couple of years. Senator Cantwell was gracious enough really to lead this effort on the senate floor, and we had a very successful vote. It is in the senate package and we are thrilled.”

McGreevy says that the work will continue with the House version of the Farm Bill to ensure that both initiatives are included there as well.

McGreevy: “We’ve got a lot of work to do before this becomes a law both the Pulse School Pilot program and the Pulse Heath Initiative Research effort. We are working with our House colleagues for a successful outcome as well. We hope we get it into law before the current Farm Bill expires which is in September.”

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.