Grain Standards Act Key for Exports Up for Reauthorization

The US Grain Standards Act, a cornerstone for the grain industry in grain and oilseed marketing, is up for reauthorization this year—the subject of a recent congressional hearing.

Grain Standards Act provisions expire September 30th and industry witnesses urged House Ag lawmakers to renew and improve the more than hundred-year-old law run by the Federal Grain Inspection Service.

Expiration of the act threatens to upend a system that has been the backbone of U.S. grain marketing, fostering trust in US farm exports.

But reauthorization offers a chance to modernize the act to improve grading technology, enhance efficiency and reduce costs.

The industry also urges a restructuring of costly user fees, funding 70-percent of FGIS operations, and decoupling the fees from a rolling 5-year average for tonnage fees.

Source: NAFB