MCGA statement on 2024 Farm Bill markup
The Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) commends the U.S. House Agriculture Committee for taking the first step in re-authorizing a Farm Bill by marking up the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024.
“MCGA thanks Chairman Thompson and the U.S. House Agriculture Committee for putting forward the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024,” said MCGA President Dana Allen-Tully. “The bill makes important investments to strengthen the farm safety net by protecting and enhancing crop insurance, increasing funding for trade promotion programs, and maintaining voluntary conservation practice adoption, reflecting many MCGA Farm Bill priorities. We look forward to the House and Senate working together to reauthorize a comprehensive, bipartisan bill that will provide the certainty needed for Minnesota corn farmers.”
Some specific provisions MCGA supports include:
- Increasing statutory reference price for corn and maintaining the effective reference price escalator.
- Increasing coverage level and maximum rate for Agriculture Risk Coverage program.
- Increasing base acres for producers based on recent plantings.
- Expanding crop insurance support for beginning and veteran farmers and ranchers and enhancing crop insurance for all farmers.
- Doubling mandatory funding for the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program.
- Maintaining voluntary adoption of conservation practices and delivery of technical assistance.
The current Farm Bill expired in September 2023 and was extended for one-year. Congress has been working to update it, including reviewing and improving existing programs for farmers across the country. There are still several steps before full reauthorization of a Farm Bill, including a Senate committee mark up, floor votes in each body and a conference committee to reconcile differences between and House and Senate Farm Bill.
MCGA has participated in multiple Farm Bill listening sessions, and grower-leaders have met several times with members of Minnesota’s delegation and the agriculture committees both in D.C. and in Minnesota. MCGA appreciates Minnesota lawmakers for their hard work on this critical Farm Bill legislation.
