Latest News From Subsidies

 Some Republican House and Senate members have expressed their concerns to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, particularly regarding the new payment formula used for ERP in 2022.

Sens. Chuck Grassley and Sherrod Brown have introduced the Farm Program Integrity Act. It would create a cap of $250,000 in commodity support for a single farm operation and, potentially, some undesirable side effects.

A Senate Ag Committee hearing Thursday on the new farm bill raised a issue that is now evident: the Title 1 farm bill safety net can no longer deal with the current ag environment.

“It’s a mystery as to why the USDA began to hide the names of many recipients,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs for the Environmental Working Group.

For example, Rep. Ralph Norman in the past unsuccessfully pushed crop insurance amendments that would have cut premium incentives/subsidies by 15% for producers with specified adjusted gross incomes.

Data released by USDA on Monday shows the farm share of the U.S. food dollar hit an all-time low in 2021. However, USDA says the decrease doesn’t necessarily mean producers are making less.

Phase 2 is targeted to those who suffered losses in 2020 and 2021 but may not have received any payments under Phase 1. With Phase 2 underway, USDA said that the signup deadline for Phase 1 ERP will now be Dec. 16.

Restaurants closing early. Sign after sign plastered along roadsides with businesses looking for help. The hiring issue is crippling everything from manufacturing to the restaurant industry today.

The spending bill signed into law early Friday morning includes several beneficial changes for agriculture.