Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson released a discussion draft of the 2024 Farm Bill- now named the Farm, Food, and National Security Act. The legislation includes twelve titles, covering commodities; conservation; trade; nutrition; credit; rural development; research, extension, and related matters; forestry; energy; horticulture, marketing, and regulatory reform; crop insurance; and miscellaneous topics like foreign animal disease preparedness and support for young and beginning farmers. Speaking on the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Beltway Beef podcast, Thompson said the bill was written in a bipartisan manner while listening to concerns from stakeholders in the ag industry.
Thompson said they visited with representatives across the industry for this bill.
With the amount of communication that has gone into this draft, Thompson said he hopes that producers throughout the diverse ag industry will like what they see.
Since everyone is impacted by the food produced by the ag industry, Thompson said they represented producers, processors, and consumers by renaming this bill the Farm, Food, and National Security Act.
Thompson added that growing and telling the story of American agriculture provides rippling benefits that affect the entire U.S. economy.
After the disappointment of last year’s farm bill decision, Thompson said there’s extra urgency to get new legislation passed this year.
Click here for the full conversation with GT Thompson on the NCBA’s Beltway Beef podcast.
