Farm Bureau Establishes 2024 National Priorities
Farm Bill Focus on gaining the passage of a five-year Farm Bill before the current temporary Farm Bill expires in September 2024. A concerted effort will be to seek its passage in the first quarter of the year. This effort will include:
- A bill that maintains current crop insurance programming.
- A bill that is WTO compliant, provides price and revenue protection for farmers, and links nutrition and commodity programs.
- A bill that maintains current agricultural commodity check-off programs.
- A bill that maintains both SNAP and TEFAP in their current forms.
Inter-State Trade Suppression Strongly advocate and support legislation to remove the ability of states to disrupt our food distribution systems caused by the U.S. Supreme Court in National Pork Producers Council v. Ross ruling in response to California Proposition 12.
Migrant Employees Strongly advocate and support legislation and/or regulatory reform to support a three-year H-2A wage rate at 2023 levels and reverse the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) adopted in March of 2023 while continuing efforts on fundamental ag labor reforms.
US Trade Strongly call for a more determined approach to seeking additional free-trade agreements.
Biofuel Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) We will support incentivization of SAF and carbon intensity scoring based on the GREET (Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation) models for ag biofuel and feed stocks.
Lock and Dam Maintain momentum on keeping the improvement of locks and dam construction on the Upper Mississippi River System a priority.
Farm Conservation/Management Education Continue to work with members of the Illinois Congressional delegation to gain firsthand knowledge of efforts on farm conservation, Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy, Conservation Reserve programs, and other best farm management practices. This will include a focus on continuing to have members of the Illinois Congressional delegation visit working farms during key agricultural practices.
Anyone with any questions or concerns are encouraged to contact Bona Heinsohn at [email protected].