WASHINGTON, DC, US -- Five dozen representatives from the US rice industry traveled to Washington, DC, to push for a farm bill and discuss the need for economic loss assistance for rice farmers for the 2024 crop year.
The group heard updates and policy analysis, and asked questions of leaders and officials.
Dr. John Newton, most recently chief economist at the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee who has recently joined Terrain, an economic analysis group, offered an analysis, noting that production costs are staying up and input costs remain elevated.
He added that the projected losses per acre for rice and other commodities make as strong a case as ever for why a new farm bill is so important.
Fitz Elder, Republican staff director for Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member John Boozman, also joined the group to share thoughts on the recently released Senate Democrat text of the farm bill and to talk about the need for both a good bill and an economic assistance package.
"It's not easy to do, but I think you need to share personal stories of how tough ag is today and how you are representing multi-generational operations and can't be the one to see it just go to the bank," Elder said.
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small also spoke, providing updates from the USDA but also asking questions of the group about challenges affecting the US rice industry. It was a timely discussion as she testified the next day before the full Senate Appropriations Committee about the urgent need for disaster assistance for agriculture and acknowledged the USA Rice meeting.
Several USA Rice members were able to attend the hearing in between meetings on Capitol Hill.
USA Rice members spent the next three days on Capitol Hill, including meetings with more than 60 congressional offices. USA Rice members heard updates from Senator Boozman, who is slated to become the chairman of the Senate Ag Committee in January and provided feedback on meetings throughout the week.
"We are getting down to the wire on the farm bill -- in fact we're long overdue," said LG Raun, Texas rice farmer and chair of USA Rice Farmers board of directors. "I appreciate all of our members who dropped what they were doing to join us here in Washington, and of course, thanks to all the Members of Congress and their staffs who saw us. I believe they all heard loud and clear that US agriculture is on the ropes and we need assistance and certainty that a well-crafted five-year farm bill should provide, and economic loss assistance to ensure as many producers can make it to when that new farm bill becomes effective."
Following the Thanksgiving recess, Congress is only scheduled to be in session for three weeks before the end of the year.