Has anyone heard anything about CRP acreage in the current budget package?

My understanding is the government passed a budget thru the end of the fiscal Year (Sept. 30). Raising the acreage cap on CRP will need to be addressed in the next farm bill from what I am told. I know there is no crp sign up right now because of the acreage cap. Not sure what will happen with expiring contracts.
 
noweil Mike said:
My understanding is the government passed a budget thru the end of the fiscal Year (Sept. 30). Raising the acreage cap on CRP will need to be addressed in the next farm bill from what I am told. I know there is no crp sign up right now because of the acreage cap. Not sure what will happen with expiring contracts.

Correct, and with the current political climate and the hot potatoes in the Farm Bill (food stamps and nutrition programs), there's no telling how long we'll be on a continuing resolution until they decide to pass a new one. The good news about a full acreage cap- as the low quality contracts (CP-1, introduced cool season grasses) expire, they are required to upgrade to a wildlife-friendly cover to stay in the program.
 
The new farm bill was just introduced a few days ago. There was pie in the sky talk by some of getting it up to 36 to 40 million acres. That was never going to happen IMHO. Others had a more realistic goal to get it back up over 30 million from the current 24. Looks like 29 million is what has made it into the bill. There are some payment changes that will happen to get it there.
I hope some of the more targeted programs such as CREP are kept in the CRP toolbox.

Tim
 
Just an update I came across. The 2018 Farm Bill passed out of the House Agriculture Committee. R's for, D's against. The anticipated debate in the full House seems to be centered on the Nutrition related contents of the Bill. The Senate is also writing its own version. Changes include the following.

* As currently proposed the CRP acreage would increase from 24 million acres to 29 million acres total.
* The Grassland CRP cap would increase to 3 million acres.
* The per acreage rental rate would be capped at 80% of the county rate.
* The cost share rate would decrease from 50% to 40% of the practice cost.
 
They really need to separate the Nutritional programs (SNAP, WIC) from the "real" farm programs. IMO.
 
Carl said:
They really need to separate the Nutritional programs (SNAP, WIC) from the "real" farm programs. IMO.

For those that don't know 80% of the Farm Bill is nutrition programs.
 
tod osier said:
Carl said:
They really need to separate the Nutritional programs (SNAP, WIC) from the "real" farm programs. IMO.

For those that don't know 80% of the Farm Bill is nutrition programs.

Such BS again from our leaders hiding welfare true costs and the farmer support true costs and what they are supporting (the 80% of the farm bill being about nutrition programs). Buying votes, the never ending saga with our "esteemed" representatives.

Mark
 
Farmers raise crops for human and animal consumption as do ranchers. These producers are supplemented for disaster losses of those crops and animals under this legislation. They are supplemented for altering production of specific crops as well, be they corporate conglomerates or independent growers: producer welfare. I see this legislation as an effort to link rural agricultural commodity communities with urban American commodity consumers who, too, should benefit from Federal supplementation of these products. As we have shifted from a rural agrarian society, so too, have the expenditure proportions of the Farm Bill. At their base, they are closely intertwined and should remain so.

My greater concern and what drove my initial question was questions regarding farm and ranch owner demographics and the future potential landscape wide consequences of this shift as the scenario plays-out:

https://www.npr.org/...epare-for-retirement
 
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The Senate just passed a Farm Bill version that is markedly at odds with the House's submission....looks like some posturing and infighting will occur before compromise language is arrived at and an actual bill is passed and ratified.

Government and governance by chaos and "collision" continues...
 
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