Farm Bill

Now that Congress is back in session we are starting to hear once again about the possibility of a farm bill being passed. I had a report last week from a contact in Washington DC that top Farm Bill negotiators are "just tying up loose ends" and the bill could possibly receive floor consideration as early as this week. But then again we just heard House Ag Committee Chair Frank Lucas say final action on a farm bill conference report will likely slip to late January. Lucas still says the farm bill needs to be done as soon as possible - but he can't move until some big issues are addressed. One area of frustration for the conference committee leader is the standoff over dairy policy between House Speaker John Boehner and Ag Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson. Lucas didn't realize how hard the positions were - and says no one has shown any flexibility. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke to the 95th Annual American Farm Bureau Federation gathering and discussed Farm Bill related programs and policies that must be implemented right away once Congress passes this legislation.

VILSACK: We recognize the need to restore disaster assistance programs. We know the crop loan rate programs need to be set and adjusted. The credit programs need to be finalized. We know it's important to get the common provisions that all programs rely on defined quickly. Putting up the new programs; the revenue protection programs. Trying to institute those as quickly as possible.

That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.