Tough row to hoe: politicians plant priorities in 2024 farm bill

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Self driving tractors, conical combines, and pesticide propellers.

They’re all part of the new tech being rolled out at this year’s Ag on the Mall festival.

A couple acres down, lawmakers inside the Capitol are planting priorities in the new farm bill.

“If you can produce your food and fiber, you can produce your energy and your dominant in all those aspects worldwide,” said Rep. David Rouser of North Carolina. “You’re in a much, much stronger position,”

Representative Rouser’s priority is shoring up crop insurance.

“Everyone has skin in the game. Farmers pay a premium. Taxpayer pays, pays as well. And that’s the reason one of the key reasons why we have an affordable abundant, safe food supply.”

House Ag committee member Dusty Johnson is pushing for more rural connectivity to facilitate burgeoning precision-farming.

“Our demands for bandwidth for speed are doubling about every two years, So we want to build networks with that in mind. We don’t want a network that is obsolete the day we light it up,” said Rep. Johnson.

As for the farmers themselves, their needs are as diverse as their yield.

“Animal health is our is our key priority,” said Chase Adams of the National Pork Producers Council. “Making sure that we keep foreign animal diseases out of the country. And making sure that we’re able to respond to domestic diseases here to ensure a safe and healthy pork supply for the American people.”

A markup of the house farm bill is expected by May 23rd.

Once passed, the farm bill will be law for the next 5 years.

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