The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) on Feb. 22 said it supports the 2023 farm bill policy priorities outlined by the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA), a coalition of more than 80 groups representing farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, manufacturers, the forestry industry, state governments, and environmental advocates.
Congressional authorizations for the current farm bill, written in 2018, are set to expire on Sept. 30 this year. FACA’s recommendations, developed by the 23-member steering committee, are divided into six categories, including conservation, risk management, and credit; energy; food waste; forestry; livestock and dairy; and research, extension, and innovation.
“With the farm bill up for reauthorization this year, ARA is advocating for several measures to be included to benefit America’s agricultural production system,” said ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock. “FACA and its members, including ARA, have done a terrific job of communicating priorities across a broad set of industry interests and compiling a document we can all get behind.”
The farm bill reauthorization priorities for ARA include preserving the crop insurance program and similar important safety nets; working with USDA’s Risk Management Agency to modify prevented planting dates to lessen potential impacts on the ag retail sector; codifying oversight of pesticide registrations and regulations at EPA and state agencies; maintaining current acreage dedicated to Conservation Programs (CRP/CSP) and the protection of working lands; and supporting the survey work carried out by the National Agricultural Statistical Service in support of the Conservation Effects Assessment Project administered by the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
“Ag retailers and distributors are vital to the nation’s food security success because they supply essential products and services to farmers,” said Coppock. “We are happy to lend our support to get a farm bill done in 2023, and look forward to working with Congress toward an effective and bipartisan bill.”