WASHINGTON (RFD-TV) — An aid package for farmers was expected this week, but the White House says the government shutdown put those plans on hold. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) told reporters this week that the size of the aid package will likely require lawmaker approval, leading to the delay.
“It’s likely to take congressional involvement to provide that level of funding,” Sen. Grassley said. “This gives Congress the opportunity to address the root causes of the crisis in the farm country, namely, high input costs and the need for greater demand for corn and soybeans.”
Grassley told reporters that any aid going to farmers should include action on E-15. He is asking colleagues to write year-round sales into law, saying it could give corn farmers a much-needed boost. Grassley and biofuel industry research estimates that congressionally mandated year-round E-15 sales could generate as much as $25 billion in new economic activity.
With an aid package now on hold, other ag lawmakers are speaking out. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) told RFD-TV News in an interview on Wednesday that while help is needed, farmers and ranchers tell her trade is the larger issue at hand right now.
“So, while we are working to get these trade deals done and over the finish line, we know that there will be some support necessary,” Sen. Ernst said. “But what I will say is that as they continue to talk about these subsidies, what I hear from my farmers in Iowa is that they want us to focus on the trade, not aid. You know, I know they need it. But ultimately, what we need to see is increased trade broadly around the world. But then, if we can find ways of increasing domestic consumption of our commodities, that would be great as well.”
Ernst says this marks the third year of falling ag revenue. She is encouraging farmers to remain patient as the Trump Administration works to rebalance the books.
These “USDA Foods” are provided to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs, including food banks that operate The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and are a vital component of the nation’s food safety net.
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