Agriculture
2008 Farm Bill-Fighting for Montana's Farmers and Ranchers
As a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I was proud to represent Montana's agricultural views when working on the 2008 Farm Bill. I held two Senate Agriculture Committee field hearings in Montana to give the Committee an understanding of Montana Agriculture. I also held listening sessions with farmers and ranchers so they could let me know what I needed to fight for in the Farm Bill.
2008 Farm Bill - Reliable Disaster Assistance
I led the charge to create the first-ever comprehensive disaster program as part of the 2008 Farm Bill. In the past, farmers and ranchers sometimes had to wait several years to receive assistance from Congress for agricultural disasters. Farmers and ranchers need a dependable safety net when weather-related disasters strike. The 2008 Farm Bill creates a Disaster Trust Fund that will finance five programs to comprehensively address agricultural disasters across the nation. These programs include the Supplemental Revenue Program, Livestock Forage Program, Tree Assistance Program, Livestock Indemnity Program, and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm Raised Fish.
The Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE): covers crop losses due to natural disasters. To receive benefits from SURE, farmers must: 1) carry crop insurance on all their crops. and 2) be located in a Secretarially declared disaster county or a contiguous county, or show proof of an individual loss of at least 50 percent. Farmers carrying higher levels of insurance will be eligible for higher payments. The Supplemental Revenue Program covers whole-farm crop losses.
The Livestock Forage Program provides assistance to ranchers in areas affected by drought. These payments are based on the severity of the drought experienced in the rancher’s county. Ranchers in areas with exceptional or extreme droughts will qualify for higher levels of assistance. In order to qualify for assistance, ranchers must be located in a county that is experiencing a severe, extreme or exceptional drought condition based on the Drought Monitor.
The Tree Assistance Program: provides compensation for specialty crop farmers to replant trees and vines that have been destroyed by natural disasters such as hurricanes, freezing rain, or severe temperatures.
The Livestock Indemnity Program: provides compensation to ranchers for livestock that are lost due to disasters such as extreme heat, blizzards, hurricanes, and other conditions. Indemnity payments are 75 percent of the fair market value of the livestock.
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm Raised Fish: is a program that addresses unique disasters not adequately covered by any other program within the Disaster Trust Fund. This program will provide assistance for unique or isolated disasters such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes or Colony Collapse Disorder.
2008 Farm Bill - Improving Montana Agriculture
Interstate Meat Shipment
I am an original sponsor of legislation that will allow interstate-shipment of state-inspected meat. And, in the 2008 Farm Bill I made sure that interstate shipment of state-inspected meat was included. This will open up new markets for our small state inspected meat packing plants in Montana. There is no reason our small Montana packers should not be selling our Montana beef, lamb and pork all over the United States.
Colony Collapse Disorder
I worked with our beekeepers to address Colony Collapse Disorder. I wrote the Pollinator Habitat Protection Act that offers incentives to farmers and ranchers to provide better habitat for our honeybees and native pollinators. Many of the provisions in the Pollinator Habitat Protection Act were included in the 2008 Farm Bill.
In April 2007, I also wrote a letter, cosigned by 43 senators, requesting that the Secretary of Agriculture devote all the resources necessary to understand and resolve the CCD crisis. On April 1, 2008, I followed up with another letter that was signed by 53 senators. I want to make sure we are doing all we can to learn what is causing Colony Collapse Disorder.
FSA Offices
I inserted language in the 2008 Farm Bill to halt closure of Farm Service Agency offices in Montana. This insures that our farmers and ranchers are not forced to drive long distances to receive the help they need.
COOL
I was an original cosponsor of The Consumer Right to Know Act of 2001, which provides country-of-origin labeling for beef, lamb, pork and perishable agricultural commodities. Country-of-origin labeling was included in the 2002 Farm Bill Conference Report. I worked on the 2008 Farm Bill to insure that country-of-origin labeling continues into the future without overburdening producers, retailers, or packers. Country-of-origin labeling will add value to Montana's superior products by allowing consumers the opportunity to know where their products are coming from.
Protecting Montana’s Agricultural Industry
Disaster Assistance
I worked tirelessly to obtain Disaster Assistance for Montana's farmers and ranchers who suffered from drought from 2005-2007. In 2007, Congress finally passed disaster assistance that provided nearly $20 million in relief to Montana’s agricultural producers.
Sugar
To protect our domestic sugar industry from unfair trade practices, I have worked to amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, with respect to sugars, syrups, and molasses (excluding cane or beet sugar). In the 2008 Farm Bill, I supported provisions that will help Montana sugar producers stay competitive and profitable.
Korean Beef
As Chairman of the Finance Committee, I repeatedly told Korean leaders that I would not move the Korean Free Trade Agreement through the Senate until they restored market access for U.S. beef. I am pleased to report that shipments of U.S. beef, from cattle 30 months and younger, are now entering South Korea without interruption under a new import protocol. Early reports show that U.S. beef is selling quickly in Korean grocery stores. I continue to monitor the treatment of U.S. beef shipments, and look forward to Korean importers taking the next step in the near future to accept U.S. beef from cattle of all ages.
The Wool Trust Fund
I successfully fought to extend the Wool Trust Fund, a program which helps Montana sheep producers get the best prices for their products and stay competitive in the global market. The Fund is used to help sheep producers identify future markets and sell products in high-demand regions across the globe. Montana sheep ranchers' exports have more than doubled since the program was created in 2000. I strongly support further extensions of the Wool Trust Fund, and will fight to pass it in the coming months.
Tax Relief for Ag Producers
As Chairman of the Finance Committee, I passed a New Manufacturing Tax Deduction. This law allows a 3 percent deduction on 2005 taxes for agricultural production income – the deduction will increase over the next several years to 9 percent by 2010.
Drought Relief
Because of long-term droughts in Montana, I wanted to make the tax code easier for ranchers forced to sell livestock due to severe droughts. I helped pass the Livestock Drought Conversion. This law doubles the amount of time ranchers have during declared drought disasters to sell and then rebuild their herds without taking a tax hit. The provision also allows ranchers to reinvest in equipment – instead of replacement stock – without paying taxes on capital gain
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