Agri-Pulse is reporting that Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow has outlined the next steps for the farm bill.  Farm Bill hearings will resume at the end of January or the beginning of February. Stabenow says the Senate Agriculture Committee will keep working with its counterparts in the House to continue fine-tuning farm bill negotiations, while using as its foundation the 23-billion in deficit reduction outline prepared for the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction.

Concerning the package, Stabenow says – we certainly feel comfortable that we presented a very credible deficit reduction number while creating an agricultural policy that supports farmers. I’m very proud of the fact that rather than just talking about things like cutting down on duplication, consolidating, and streamlining, we’re actually doing that. As an example, conservation programs would be consolidated from 23 to 13.

According to the Senator from Michigan, the across-the-board sequestration cuts that are scheduled for 2013 could be between 16-18 billion dollars for agriculture and nutrition programs. As for changes to the commodity title, Stabenow says they include: the elimination of direct payments, a new revenue plan and new target prices, and making crop insurance and other risk management programs the foundation for the farm safety net.

Source: NAFB News Service