Farm Bill talks continue on Capitol Hill as Senate Ag Chair John Boozman from Arkansas works to get 60 votes to pass their version. Indiana Farm Bureau National Affairs Director Brantley Seifers joined me on the latest Indiana Ag Policy Podcast to discuss where things sit currently.
He says this is not a traditional Farm Bill.
“About 80% of a traditional farm bill was actually included in the One Big Beautiful Bill that already passed. So, this is smaller; it’s about 20% of a normal farm bill. However, there are still several different policy programs that our members rely on and are important to our members in this.”
Seifers points to research dollars for land grant universities, like Purdue, as being one of those policy programs. Also, “You have some updates to the Rural Development title of the Farm Bill, so that’s where the broadband dollars and some early childcare programs are. And then you have one of our biggest ticket items, which is a fix to Proposition 12.”
That fix to California’s Proposition 12, a so-called “animal welfare” law that veterinarians and pork producers actually say is less safe for their sows, is included in the House version of the Farm Bill but not the Senate draft. Boozman has said that he just doesn’t have the votes to get it done.
“The Farm Bill, traditionally in the past, has been a very bipartisan bill. So, I think it makes sense to find a path to get to a bipartisan vote. However, we still think that we can get there with Prop 12 in the bill, and we’re hoping that if it’s not in the Senate version, at least when they go to conference with the House, we’re able to put Prop 12 in there. Again, probably our top priority with this Farm Bill.”
California imports over 98% of its pork, putting the compliance burden on Midwest pork producers.
“We’re all for California being able to regulate themselves, regulate their state. When they start telling Hoosier producers how they can do the things that they do every single day, they’re the experts, that’s where we have a problem with it.”
Hear more from Seifers on the Farm Bill, USMCA, and year-round E15 on the Indiana Ag Policy Podcast. Listen wherever you find your favorite podcasts and watch on our Facebook page, @hoosieragtoday.
