Congresswoman Claudia Tenney: Farm Bill Positive Step to Reignite Agriculture Sector in Upstate New York

Press Release

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22) today highlighted the release of the legislative text of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act (H.R. 2) commonly referred to as the Farm Bill. The bipartisan proposal is set to be marked up in the House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday, April 18, 2018.

"Family farmers are the backbone of our rural communities and economy. Traveling across the district, I've listened to the problems facing our farmers and took their concerns with me to Washington. Importantly, to address these concerns, the Farm Bill includes a number of positive changes that will help Upstate farmers combat a 5-year recession, depressed prices and a 52 percent drop in net farm income. I am grateful that Chairman Conaway and members of the Agriculture Committee took my input and listened to the priorities of our family farmers in the 22nd District," said Congresswoman Tenney.

"While the federal government has taken steps to ease burdens, New York State's forced minimum wage coupled with high taxes and energy costs continue to harm the stability of farms, making it increasingly difficult for local farms to remain competitive," continued Congresswoman Claudia Tenney. "Excessive regulations, inflationary wage mandates, onerous tax, regulatory and energy burdens must be addressed locally to enable our farmers to compete and survive against larger farms and neighboring states who benefit from economies of scales and lower costs."

"The Farm Bill makes investments in opportunities for SNAP recipients and improves program integrity, while delivering much-needed support and certainty to farmers throughout the 22nd District. I encourage my colleagues to work together and move this bill through committee in a bipartisan manner," concluded Congresswoman Claudia Tenney.

Many of the priorities Rep. Tenney fought tirelessly for were included in H.R. 2:

Fighting for Dairy Farmers in Upstate

Dairy farmers are the backbone of Upstate New York's agricultural economy yet they continue to struggle with declining milk prices and increased feed and energy costs.
The latest government funding bill was a good first step in stabilizing and improving the Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) and making it a better safety net for dairy farmers.
In addition to renaming MPP-Dairy to the Dairy Risk Management Program (DRMP), the Farm Bill includes provisions aimed at increasing the top level of coverage within MPP-Dairy from $8.00 to $9.00 which will bring further support to small and medium-sized farms. Rep. Tenney sent a letter to Chairman Conaway in November 2017 advocating for this change.
The legislation also further lowers premiums for coverage levels under Tier I (first five million pounds) making premiums even more affordable than ones passed as part of the funding bill.
Dairy producers are now able to participate in both the Dairy Risk Management Program (DRMP) or the Livestock Gross Margin Insurance Plan for Dairy Cattle (LGM-Dairy), allowing greater flexibility in hard times.

Supporting Farmers in Mental Health Crisis

Mental health and suicide prevention has become an increasing concern for farmers in the 22nd District.
The 2018 Farm bill reauthorizes the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network to help alleviate some of the unique issues farmers face in the agriculture industry.
Rep. Tenney will continue to be engaged in this important matter as the bill moves through committee.

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