With a vote of 15-5 this afternoon, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry passed the “Agricultural Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013,” the Committee’s version of a new Farm Bill. American Soybean Association (ASA) President Danny Murphy, a soybean farmer from Canton, Miss., called on the full Senate to pass the bill, and expressed ASA’s appreciation for the cooperative and bipartisan effort displayed by the Committee in crafting a bill that provides farmers with the certainty they need to continue producing enough food, feed, fiber, and biofuels to meet growing domestic and global demand.

“Led by Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Cochran, the members of the Committee came together to pass a bill today that takes great strides toward enacting legislation we’ve all worked so hard on since the first hearing in 2010,” said Murphy. “The Committee’s farm bill provides continued planting flexibility, reinforces crop insurance, protects our natural resources, authorizes and funds vital trade, research and education programs, and feeds our nation’s hungry, all while addressing our nation’s budget needs by reducing spending by $23 billion, including elimination of direct payments and duplication of conservation programs. This is a responsible bill and one that the Senate should pass without delay.”

Among the key provisions in the bill for ASA is the structure of the bill’s commodity programs in Title I. In addition to the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) program to protect against revenue losses, the Committee approved a price-based Adverse Market Program which sets reference (target) prices at a percentage of recent average prices and provides that support levels be updated annually.

“By agreeing to support a decoupled, market-oriented approach to price protection, the Committee has resolved a philosophical difference between farm groups on how to keep government farm programs from distorting planting decisions, and has united all major production regions behind one approach,” added Murphy. “ASA recommended this approach in March in the interest of finding common ground on which we might move a new farm bill forward. Both Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Cochran deserve a great deal of credit for helping this process along, and ASA commends them for it.”

The Senate bill reauthorizes and funds numerous ASA priorities, including the Biodiesel Education Program, the Biobased Market Program, agricultural research initiatives, and the Foreign Market Development and Market Access Programs.  It also includes provisions that strengthen the crop insurance program, a top priority for ASA.

A full transcript of the bill can be found by clicking here.

###

ASA represents all U.S. soybean farmers on domestic and international issues of importance to the soybean industry. ASA’s advocacy efforts are made possible through voluntary farmer membership by farmers in 30 states where soybeans are grown.

For more information contact:

Danny Murphy, ASA President, 601-906-3809, dpmurphy@bellsouth.net
Patrick Delaney, ASA Communications Director, 202-969-7040, pdelaney@soy.org