The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) supports the bill introduced in the Senate on Thursday, titled the Affordable and Secure Food Act of 2022 (ASFA). The bill is similar to the Farm Workforce Modernization Act that was passed in the House in 2021. It would create a path to legal status for undocumented farmworkers and freeze the Adverse Effect …
AFBF Establishes 2023 Farm Bill Priorities
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) released its priorities for the 2023 farm bill. The priorities were identified by a working group of Farm Bureau members and staff from across the country. AFBF’s overarching priorities include: Continuing current farm bill program funding; Maintaining a unified farm bill that includes nutrition programs and farm programs together; Prioritizing risk management tools …
Thompson, Comer Lead Letter to GAO Regarding Foreign Investments in U.S. Farmland
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Republican Leader of the House Committee on Agriculture, Glenn “GT” Thompson, and Republican Leader of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, James Comer, were joined by 128 of their Conference colleagues sent a letter last weekend to comptroller general Gene Dodaro of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). The letter requests a study regarding foreign investment in U.S. farmland …
Legislative Visits Valuable for GFVGA
By Clint Thompson Legislative visits can serve as a valuable message from agricultural organizations to their representatives in Washington D.C. For the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), its message to Senator Jon Ossoff earlier this month emphasized the need for legislative help pertaining to various challenges that farmers like Aries Haygood and Bill Brim face in Georgia. “In …
Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Issues Statement of Principles Ahead of 2023 Farm Bill
The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), a national coalition of more than 200 specialty crop organizations representing producers of fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, nursery plants and other products, released its statement of principles for consideration of the 2023 Farm Bill. The SCFBA is led by co-chairs Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association; Dave …
Bill to Prohibit the Chinese Communist Party from Purchasing American Land
Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) introduced the Securing America’s Land from Foreign Interference Act earlier this month to prohibit members of the Chinese Communist Party from purchasing any land in the United States. Text of the bill may be found here. “Chinese investments in American farmland put our food security at risk and provide opportunities for …
Farm Workforce Modernization Act a ‘Long Shot’
By Clint Thompson The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is in its final stage of being edited and potentially passed in the Senate. Whether it is approved by the end of this year remains a “long shot,” says Bob Redding, who works for the Redding Firm and serves as a lobbyist for agricultural groups in Washington, D.C. He spoke about the …
Florida Lawmakers Focus on Nutrient Management
By Frank Giles The Florida Legislature passed the largest budget on record during its 2022 session. The final tally came in at $110 billion. Lawmakers showed strong support for agriculture, passing several important bills. The Legislature allocated millions of dollars for the industry as well. SB 1000The most significant action was passage of SB 1000 Nutrient Application Rates. The legislation …
Farm Legislation a Win for Alabama Agriculture
By Sabrina Halvorson Alabama’s 2022 state legislative season was a success for agriculture with the passage of key farm legislation bills. “I would say overall we were very happy with how it went. We had some priorities that we called the Farm Package here at the Alabama Farmers Federation, and all of that was successful,” said Blake Thaxton, a director …
AFBF Applauds Final Passage of Ocean Shipping Reform Act
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall commented on Monday about the final congressional passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act. “AFBF appreciates lawmakers for working together to pass the Ocean Shipping Reform Act. Record-high shipping costs and delayed access to containers have worsened supply chain issues and limited exports at a time when the world is calling on …