Past President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Kevin Kester was on Capitol Hill recently, pressing for a new farm bill, despite big questions surrounding its fate.
Kester told NCBA’s Beltway Beef podcast, that Cattlemen have several priorities they would like to see addressed in the farm bill.
The California rancher says NCBA’s also looking to protect the beef checkoff that some groups and lawmakers have tried to kill. Kester says the program is worthwhile.
This comes at a time when farm exports are down and a new farm bill with improvements for EQIP and other popular programs are in doubt. The 2018 law expired last month, and key farm lawmakers now predict a one-year farm bill extension may be needed, especially since next year is an election year.
An extension of the current farm bill would continue the current farm policy in the 2018 bill but would not make updates to reference pricing.
