Scott Calls For Farm Bill Extension and Foreign Investment US Ag Land
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.**David Scott, the ranking member of the House Ag Committee, called on colleagues to extend the 2018 Farm Bill by one year.
The Georgia Democrat made the call as, he claims, the House Republican conference continues hobbling legislative efforts.
Scott says while we continue the bipartisan effort on the
House Ag Committee to craft a new farm bill, cynicism among committee members makes reauthorizing the farm bill by the end of the year unlikely.
**Foreign investment in U.S. ag land is a big topic. Based on 2021 data, USDA shows over 40 million acres of American ag lands are owned by foreign investors, or 3.1% of all privately held ag land and 1.8% of all U.S. land.
Canadian investors own the largest portion at 31%, but many of the current concerns center around China which, at last check, owned 383,000 acres.
**The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals granted a major victory to farmers when it ruled the EPA must base its decisions on sound science and the law.
The court was clear when it said the EPA failed to follow the law when it revoked chlorpyrifos tolerances, effectively banning the pesticide.
The American Farm Bureau was one of several ag groups that sued the EPA, asserting they ignored scientific evidence that proved the pesticide’s safety.