Farm Bill - Support for Local Farmers and Producers
The Commodity Title (Title l) covers price and income support for the farmers who grow major commodity crops, including wheat, corn, soybeans, peanuts, rice, dairy, and sugar, as well as disaster assistance. This title includes provisions about sugar, dairy, and disaster assistance programs for commodities not eligible for crop insurance.
Disaster Relief
Earlier this year, California experienced significant flood and storm damage exceeding billions. Farmers across the San Joaquin Valley saw this damage firsthand. I worked with President Biden to declare an emergency disaster declaration to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Several federal disaster assistance programs are authorized under the Commodity Title (Title l) to provide much-needed support for agricultural producers to rehabilitate farmland and ranch land damaged by natural disasters.
The Agricultural Emergency Relief Actwouldcreate a permanent structure at the Department of Agriculture to provide relief for farmers who lost crops due to natural disasters.
Smoke Exposure Crop Insurance Actwould direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to research, develop, and create a crop insurance policy to better insure against wine grape losses due to wildfire smoke exposure.
Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Actwouldensure that basic safety-net programs for producers are readily available to help full-time farmers recover following natural disasters.
Disaster Assistance Programs:
The following disaster assistance programs have been critical in helping producers deal with the financial implications of natural disasters:
Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses due to drought or fire on land that is native or improved pastureland with a permanent vegetative cover or that is planted specifically for grazing.
The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides benefits to livestock producers for livestock deaths over normal mortality caused by adverse weather or by attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government.
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees, and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease (including cattle tick fever), adverse weather, or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires.
Emergency Loan Program provides loans to help producers recover from production and physical losses due to drought, flooding, and other natural disasters
Disaster Set-Aside Program provides producers who have existing direct loans with FSA who are unable to make the scheduled payments to move up to one full year’s payment to the end of the loan.
Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) helps farmers and ranchers repair damage to farmlands caused by natural disasters and helps put in place water conservation methods during severe drought.
Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) helps owners of non-industrial private forests restore forest health damaged by natural disasters.
Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) pays covered producers of covered non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters
Tree Assistance Program (TAP) provides financial assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes, and vines damaged by natural disasters.
Specialty Crops
Specialty crops are a cornerstone of California agriculture – the state produces the most specialty crops in the country both in quantity and diversity, with over 400 different commodities produced in the state per year. But supply chain disruptions, COVID-19, and the drought have made it more difficult for specialty crop producers to put food on America’s dinner table.
The Horticulture Title (Title X) covers specialty crops and certified organic products. I’ve taken a lead role in introducing legislation to equip producers with the tools they need to access new markets and safeguard our food supply chain.
The Specialty Crop Domestic Market Promotion Program Act would create a program that helps specialty crop producers market their products to access American markets. It replicates the popular Market Access Program (MAP) through USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) specifically for specialty crop producers to break into niche domestic markets.
The Specialty Crop Mechanization Assistance Act makes it easier for specialty crop producers to remain competitive in the face of labor shortages by making expensive automation technology more accessible to producers.
Advancing Automation Research and Development in Agriculture Act wouldestablish a Specialty Crop Mechanization and Automation Research and Development Program within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support specialty crop mechanization and automation projects.