LUBBOCK Congress struggled with the farm bill for months before finally passing legislation that maintains planting flexibility and creates a sound income safety net for agricultural producers. But there still are some unanswered questions.
How will the new legislation influence planting decisions? How did loan rates and target prices fare in the new bill? What conservation programs are available now? And how about the paperwork?
To help answer these and other questions, Texas Cooperative Extension has slated a Farm Bill Primer for producers on May 7 at the Lubbock Civic Center. The meeting will run from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
“Our Lubbock Farm Bill Primer will likely be one of the first meetings anywhere dealing specifically with this new legislation. It will provide producers, lenders and others a good first look at some of the inner workings of the new farm bill,” said Jackie Smith, Extension economist based at Lubbock. “It will also set the stage for a later series of regional and local meetings sponsored by Texas Cooperative Extension.
“We will briefly explain what comes next, and we will provide any information available on sign-up dates and other implementation procedures. We will also provide a general overview of this legislation.”
Other topics on the agenda include:
Target prices, loan rates and fixed payment rates.
The counter-cyclical program that provides an income safety net.
Requirements for updating acreage bases and program yields.
Payment limits.
Changes in conservation programs and the dairy program.
“Producers are also wondering how the new bill will affect our standing with the World Trade Organization on global trade issues,” Smith said. “We will cover the possible impact on trade, and we will provide a synopsis of how the new legislation might affect commodity prices.
“We will discuss what producers can do to help speed implementation of the new bill, and we will outline Extension resources that can help them adapt to the new policy. We will end with a question-and-answer session.”
For more information, contact Smith at (806) 746-6101 or call your county Extension office.
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