Sen. Fischer reintroduces bill to maximize precision agriculture

Senator Deb Fischer has reintroduced a bill that she says will help producers maximize the benefits of precision agriculture.

The bill packages three acts to include the Precise Act, which would ensure precision ag tech is eligible for assistance under existing USDA conservation programs. The Last Acre Act, which expands high-speed network connectivity across farm and ranch lands, and the PAL Act which provides dedicated loan financing for the purchase and retrofitting of precision ag technologies.

Sen. Fischer explained the need for the bill, saying, “Precision agriculture equipment enables America’s farmers and ranchers to be stronger stewards of the land; however, high upfront costs and a lack of rural broadband connectivity create frustrating barriers to entry...”

Related Stories
Lewie Pugh with the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) discusses the gap in truck driver education programs and how it impacts road safety and supply chain economics.
$11 billion will go to row-crop farmers immediately, with $1 billion set aside for specialty crops.
Georgia has regained its HPAI-free status after a swift response to October’s detection. Commissioner Tyler Harper urges producers to stay vigilant and maintain biosecurity.
USTR Jamieson Greer signals a narrower trade deal with China, adding more market uncertainty. The Farm Bureau also supports reviewing China’s missed trade commitments under the Phase One.
Reed Marcum started hosting a toy drive in 2015. Since then, he has distributed thousands of toys across his home state of Oklahoma and in Texas and Arkansas. Now serving in the Army, Reed’s family and local 4-H chapter are running the event.
American soybean and corn leaders, along with Canada’s AgriFood sector, testified before the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office in support of the trade pact between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Texas livestock producers face a heightened biosecurity threat as New World screwworm detections in northern Mexico coincide with FDA approval of the first topical treatment.
“The Expanding Access to Risk Protection (EARP) Final Rule streamlines requirements across multiple crops, responds to producer feedback, and strengthens USDA’s commitment to putting America’s farmers first,” said the USDA.