State Senate ag committee session offers farm bill input

As the No. 1 agricultural state, with a $51.1 billion farm economy and more than 400 commodities, California and its government leaders, farmers and residents are weighing in on how members of Congress should shape the 2023 Farm Bill.

During a state Senate Agriculture Committee hearing last week, Sen. Melissa Hurtado, the committee chair, said it is important to speak up on reauthorizing the federal legislation given the urgency of climate change threatening food security.

“Experts believe that if not more is done to adapt, global yields could decline by up to 30% by 2050,” said Hurtado, D-Sanger. “These threats impact us all, but they are most felt by those living in rural communities. California has always taken pride in providing food for the world. But we must give agriculture the attention it deserves, one that extends beyond farming and considers everything within the food system.”

The last farm bill was signed into law in 2018 and is set to expire Sept. 30. The omnibus legislation, up for renewal in the 2023 bill, governs many areas related to agriculture, including nutrition, commodity programs, crop insurance, conservation, trade, forestry and rural development.

U.S. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, is a senior member on the House Agriculture Committee, which has oversight to craft a five-year farm bill. He described the legislative package as “a safety net for America’s farmers, ranchers, dairymen and women and farmworkers, but also for American consumers with the nutrition programs a critical component.”

Agricultural groups, including the California Farm Bureau, highlighted challenges facing America’s largest agricultural economy, including supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, inflation and rising input costs. To recover from related losses, leaders advocated for improved risk management for farmers by strengthening crop insurance and disaster programs.

“This farm bill should prioritize development of new crop insurance tools for uncovered producers as well as improvements to existing tools in a practical, affordable way regardless of commodity and farm size,” said California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson, who farms olives and citrus fruit in Oroville. “Here in California, less than a quarter of our 400 commodities are covered by existing crop insurance programs.”

Johansson said farmers facing significant losses from disasters often encountered delays in receiving federal aid.