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Both ag committees release farm bill drafts

One day after the Senate Ag Committee released their farm bill draft, House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas of Oklahoma and Ranking Member Collin Peterson of Minnesota released a discussion draft of the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act of 2013 on Friday. Peterson says the bill “closely resembles the bipartisan bill passed by the Agriculture Committee last summer.”

The House bill saves nearly $40 billion in mandatory funds including the $6 billion from sequestration. It eliminates the Direct Payments, Counter-Cyclical Payments (CCPs), the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program, and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE).

Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance is reauthorized for livestock producers. Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), Livestock Forage Program (LFP), Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP), and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) are all generally reauthorized. An additional month of support is provided in the Livestock Forage Program for those who qualify. In addition, enhanced support is provided for livestock producers who have been in exceptional drought—the highest level—for a prolonged period.

FARRM reauthorizes two important programs supporting the organic industry, the Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives Program and the National Organic Program, as well as enhances investigation and enforcement tools.

The plan consolidates 23 conservation programs into 13 and would gradually reduce the CRP acreage cap to 24 million acres.

The bill also contains the Dairy Security Act which contains the supply management provision.

The bill closes loopholes and cracks-down on waste and fraud in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The House Ag Committee will consider the legislation on Wednesday.

A summary of the House bill can be found here:

The Senate Ag Committee will consider their bill on Tuesday, a summary of their legislation can be found here: