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The Senate Agriculture Committee marked up its version of the 2013 Farm Bill on May 14th and the House Agriculture Committee is set to begin their mark up on May 15th. While the results of these hearing are not yet known we expect a fairly clean process in the Senate but the House committee may take a day or two. Most of the battles will be over the commodity programs (Title I), conservation (Title II), and SNAP (Food Stamps; Title IV).

Filed under: Farm Bill • legislation

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Following months of inaction on this vital legislation, both chambers of Congress appear to be picking up the pace and have scheduled mark-ups on their draft versions of a new Farm Bill. This is a large bill that will likely come with a nearly $1 trillion price tag over ten years. However, both the House and Senate have made it clear that deficit reducing cuts will be made.

Filed under: Farm Bill • legislation

U.S. House, Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas has scheduled a mark-up, for a new attempt at a Farm Bill, on May 15th. While there have been some changes in the make-up of the committee it still contains many of the same players that passed their version of the bill last year – which was never voted on in the last Congress.

In preparation for the bill mark-up, the House Agriculture Committee will be holding a hearing on Wednesday, April 24a at 10am ET to review the horticulture priorities for the 2013 Farm Bill. Live audio and video feeds of the hearing can be accessed here.

Filed under: Farm Bill • legislation

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According to a committee aide – Senator Debbie Stabenow, Agriculture Committee Chairwoman, intends to restart the Farm Bill debate at the end of April. Last year the Senate passed its version of the Farm Bill, only to see it stall in the House. With a new year and new congress the Senate must begin the process over again.

Filed under: Farm Bill • legislation

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A major effort spearheaded by ANLA, and in collaboration with SAF, to develop software tools that will make it easier for nurseries and greenhouses to participate in systems approach certification programs was awarded $159,000 in funding through the 2008 Farm Bill Section 10201 “pest and disease” program.

Filed under: Farm Bill