Senate Farm Bill

Senate Farm Bill Part 2. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

Last week Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow hosted a teleconference to discuss the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013. Stabenow says they spent a lot of time trying to find ways to cut, consolidate and streamline.

STABENOW: We ended the largest subsidy, the subsidy that goes to farmers called direct payments that has no relationship to risk or loss. We’ve eliminated over a hundred different programs or authorizations by combining them, cutting duplication, cutting out paperwork, streamlined the process including some things that sound simple and were not simple.

She gives an example of how they streamlined the bill.

STABENOW: Things like the fact that in rural development there were 11 different definitions for what was rural. Very difficult, complicated paperwork. We have gotten that down to one definition so that it’s clear.

And she discusses some of the cuts made.

STABENOW: Significant payment limits. We’ve cut in half the limit that is allowed for a farmer to receive dollars under the commodity title. And we have really streamlined and strengthened the conservation title of the farm bill which I’m very, very proud of. And the House’ very similar. Almost identical to the structure that we have on conservation.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.