Hoeven readies agenda for next Farm Bill

U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) on Monday outlined his plans for maintaining a robust federal farm policy that benefits both the nation’s agriculture producers and American consumers. 

Sen. Hoeven, ranking member on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, said during the North Dakota Grain Dealers Association 2023 annual convention held in Fargo, N.D., that he plans to ensure farmers and ranchers have the opportunity to provide direct input as work begins on the next Farm Bill.

“This year, Congress will begin writing a new Farm Bill, and we’re working to ensure North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers have a voice in that process, resulting in strong farm policy that our producers can rely upon,” Sen. Hoeven said.

The senator also plans to address supply chain constraints to ensure producers have access to reliable transportation services, including rail and ocean carriers, according to his staff.

“Producers need to be able to get their products to market,” said Sen. Hoeven. “The delays we’ve experienced in both rail and ocean carrier service represented a real challenge for our farmers and agri-businesses.”

In response, he said the subcommittee members will continue pressing the Surface Transportation Board and railways “to ensure reliable rail service continues for North Dakota’s shippers.”

During another event held last year in North Dakota, Sen. Hoeven hosted U.S. Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, to discuss the next Farm Bill with local producers and commodity groups. 

Some of the priorities culled from that event included maintaining strong crop insurance; improving the farm safety net, including the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs; bolstering livestock disaster programs; and cutting red-tape and ensuring programs are farmer-friendly, his staff said.