C-FARE Info

House Ag Subcommittee Examines Research Programs

Today, Congressman Timothy Johnson (IL-15), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture, held an audit hearing to examine U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research programs. This is the ninth hearing in the audit series that is designed to provide members of the committee with a greater understanding of farm policy. According to the Committee press release, “Research programs are vital to enhancing agricultural productivity, decreasing input costs, and ensuring American consumers continue to enjoy a safe, abundant, affordable, and nutritious food supply.” Witnesses included: Dr. Edward B. Knipling, Administrator, Agricultural Research Service, Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Acting Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Cynthia Clark, Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, and Dr. Laurian Unnevehr, Acting Administrator, Economic Research Service For witness statements or other information visit the Committee Website.

House Agriculture Subcommittee Examines Farm Loan Programs During Audit Hearing

On July 14, 2011 Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, and Credit, held a hearing to examine the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency's (FSA) loan programs. The audit hearing was a part of the House Agriculture Committee's ongoing effort to provide oversight of current spending to ensure that programs are being delivered effectively while minimizing waste, fraud, abuse, and duplication. This is the fifth audit hearing in the series. To view witness testimony and other information visit the Committee Website here.

House Ag Subcommittee Examines Trade & Food Aid programs During Audit Hearing

On July 13, 2011 Congressman Timothy V. Johnson, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture, held an audit hearing to examine trade, food aid and agricultural development programs operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This is the fourth hearing in the audit series that is designed to provide members of the committee with a greater understanding of farm policy. To view information from the Hearing, please visit the Committee Website.

Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittees Highlight Need for Increased American Natural Gas Production, Job Creation

On July 8, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry joined with the Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources to hold a joint hearing on "Challenges facing Domestic Oil and Gas Development: Review of Bureau of Land Management/U.S. Forest Service Ban on Horizontal Drilling on Federal Lands." According to the Press Release, “The panel heard from a number of experts regarding the U.S. Forest Service's proposed ban of horizontal drilling in the George Washington National Forest, as well as the Interior Departments' potential regulation of hydraulic fracturing on federal lands. Horizontal drilling provides significant benefits to resource development by reducing the footprint of oil and gas production and leaving surface areas of environmental concern undisturbed.” For more information click here.

US House and Senate Committees Advance Trade Bills

On July 7 the US House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means held a non-markup of the three long-pending trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea to relay the views of the Committee to the Administration before the trade agreements and implementing bills are formally submitted to Congress. Click here for details.

Also on July 7, the Senate Finance Committee Senate Finance Committee passed legislation to extend the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program and implement the South Korea, Colombia and Panama Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Click here for details.

Blog Posting from “The Hill’s Congress Blog" - Time to cut farm subsidies now

On July 7 Former Rep. James Bacchus and former Chairman of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization posted on The Hill’s Congress Blog about Farm Subsidies. Click here to view the blog.

Agricultural Program Audit: Examination of Conservation Programs

Today the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry held a hearing on “Agricultural Program Audit: Examination of Conservation Programs.” For details or to view the hearing, visit the Committee website.

Regulatory Injury: How USDA’s Proposed GIPSA Rule Hurts America’s Small Businesses

Today at 10:00 am, the House Small Business Committee Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade will hold a hearing entitled Regulatory Injury: How USDA’s Proposed GIPSA Rule Hurts America’s Small Businesses. The Committee will examine the Grain Inspection, Packer and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) Proposed Rule on livestock marketing practices. The purpose of this hearing is to highlight the effects of the Proposed Rule on small businesses within the beef, pork and poultry industries and discuss the inadequacies in GIPSA’s Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis. For details visit the Committee website.

IFPRI Launches Unique New Tool That Provides Early Warning of Extreme Price Variability

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) launched the Excessive Food Price Variability Early Warning System on July 6, 2011. This new tool measures excessive food price variability and is the only mechanism currently available to identify time spans of increased price variability. It is updated daily and forewarns policymakers and humanitarian agencies of periods of time with excessive food price variability. According to their press release, “By providing an early warning system to alert the world of price abnormalities for key commodities in the global agricultural markets, policymakers and other stakeholders can make better informed plans and decisions, including whether or when to release stocks from emergency grain reserves. Timely, accurate, and transparent market information is important for addressing food price volatility and achieving the ultimate goal of improving food security, especially among poor people in developing countries.”