Fall Fly-in Pushes for Meaningful Farm Bill, Farmer Economic Assistance

WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, more than five dozen rice industry representatives from all sectors traveled here in what may be a final push to get the Farm Bill across the finish line in the lame duck Congress, and to discuss the need for economic loss assistance for rice farmers for the 2024 crop year.

Before fanning out across the Capitol, the group gathered to hear updates and policy analysis, and pose questions to ag policy thought leaders and officials.  The first speaker was Dr. John Newton, most recently chief economist at the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee who has recently joined Terrain, an economic analysis group offered by American AgCredit, Farm Credit Services of America, and Frontier Farm Credit.  The analysis Newton shared was sobering.

“Production costs are staying up, input costs are remaining elevated, and basically all crops are losing money on a national average,” he said.

He added that the projected losses per acre for rice and other commodities make as strong a case as ever for why a new farm bill is so important.

Republican Staff Director for Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) Fitz Elder also joined the group to share thoughts on the recently released Senate Democrat text of the Farm Bill and to talk about the need for both a good farm bill and an economic assistance package in recognition of the financial realities in farm country.

“It’s not easy to do, but I think you need to share personal stories of how tough ag is today and how you are representing multi-generational operations and can’t be the one to see it just go to the bank,” Elder said to nodding heads around the table.

Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small also spoke providing updates from USDA but also asking questions of the group about challenges impacting the U.S. rice industry.  It was a timely discussion as she testified the next day before the full Senate Appropriations Committee about the urgent need for disaster assistance for agriculture, and acknowledged the USA Rice meeting during the hearing in response to a question from Ranking Member Boozman.  Several USA Rice members were able to attend the hearing in between meetings on Capitol Hill.

On Tuesday night, USA Rice once again held the annual Duck Stamp reception on Capitol Hill in conjunction with Ducks Unlimited with additional support by CropLife America and The Fertilizer Institute.  More than 150 Congressional staff, Members of Congress, including House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA) and Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and industry representatives gathered to network, talk farm and conservation policy, and celebrate the 11th year of the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Rice Stewardship Partnership.

USA Rice members spent the next three days on Capitol Hill, including meetings with more than 60 Congressional offices.  On Thursday, USA Rice members heard updates from Senator Boozman, who is slated to become the chairman of the Senate Ag Committee in January, and provided feedback on meetings throughout the week.

“We are getting down to the wire on the Farm Bill – in fact we’re long overdue,” said LG Raun, Texas rice farmer and chair of USA Rice Farmers Board of Directors.  “I appreciate all of our members who dropped what they were doing to join us here in Washington, and of course, thanks to all the Members of Congress and their staffs who saw us.  I believe they all heard loud and clear that U.S. agriculture is on the ropes and we need assistance and certainty that a well-crafted five-year Farm Bill should provide, and economic loss assistance to ensure as many producers can make it to when that new farm bill becomes effective.”

Following the Thanksgiving recess, Congress is only scheduled to be in session for three weeks before the end of the year.